Los Guineos (Small Plantains/Bananas in the Dominican Republic)

The smaller cousin of plantains, the green guineo is peeled and boiled whole and eaten as a starchy side dish with fried pork. When green, plantains or platanos are peeled, sliced width-wise, fried, removed from oil, flattened with the bottom of a glass and then re-fried until golden and soft all the way through. Plantains are more available in the States now, but the small guineo is still scarce.

When the small guineo turns yellow, it becomes sweet and is eaten like a typical banana would be eaten. It´s a different experience, though. Unlike the "American" banana, the yellow guinea has a skin as thin as a peach. Probably one of the reasons you don´t see these - they´re too easily bruised. The fruit is half the size, but inside looks a lot like a banana. Though similar in flavor, the texture of the small yellow guineo is silky smooth like a homemade pudding. That same texture also makes the boiled green guineos such a wonderful experience, too. So when you visit the Dominican Republic, seek out these little guineos, green and yellow, and be sure to include them in your daily dining rituals.