Unlike the banana, which is much sweeter and meant to be eaten raw, plantains are used more like a vegetable in most Latin American recipes. Plaintains are longer than bananas and have thicker peels. Patacones are peprared by first peeling and cutting the plantains before frying them in a pan of heated oil, then topping them with salsa or a sauce. It is best to enoy patacones while they are warm!
Unfortunatley, I never had the chancd to make patacones myself. However, another very popular plantain dish to make in Costa Rica is to fry plantains in a pan and then coat them with syrup. I made this snack quite often in my apartment with my fellow Costa Rican roommates.
Patacones are connected to the local Costa Rican environment in that plantains are common fruits that grow in tropical America. Indigenous to India and Southeast Asia, the plantain is in the same botanical family as the banana but is typically cooked before being eaten. Plantains are a rich source of Vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber and are served up in a variety of ways on Costa Rica’s tables.
