Plantain (Tostones and Maduros)
Caribbean (pan-archipelago: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica)
Plantain prepared as either tostones (twice-fried green plantain) or maduros (fried ripe plantain) represents the Caribbean's most ubiquitous side dish — the same ingredient expressing two completely opposite flavour profiles based solely on ripeness. Tostones are made from green (unripe) plantain: sliced, fried at 325°F until cooked but not coloured, smashed flat with a tostonera (wooden press), then fried again at 375°F until golden and crisp, producing a savoury, starchy chip with a crackling exterior and dense interior. Maduros are made from fully black-ripe plantain: sliced diagonally and fried at 350°F until the natural sugars caramelise to a dark, sticky glaze with sweet, banana-like richness. The two preparations are not interchangeable — they serve opposite flavour functions in the same meal.