Trader Joe's Sweet Ripe Plantains

Long ago, I hung out with some folks from São Paulo, Brazil pretty frequently. They loved telling us about how life was different in Brazil and exposing us to their cuisine and culture. We went to a few different Brazilian restaurants together, and the most common type of platter we'd encounter was a simple dish with a grilled meat of some kind, rice, either beans or a small salad, and finally fried plantains. In contrast to, say your typical Mexican food for example, there were very few sauces, salsas, and cheeses. Everything tasted remarkably clean and fresh.

Around the same time, I discovered Cuban cuisine. Lo and behold, nearly every Cuban dish I tried came with a side of extremely similar fried plantains. Apparently, they're quite common in most cuisines in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and even Africa. With such a huge portion of the world enjoying a specific side dish with such regularity, it's a wonder it never really caught on in America.

In the same way you might serve sweet potatoes with turkey and stuffing, Sonia made a delicious platter of sautéed chicken seasoned with Trader Joe's Cuban Style Citrusy Garlic Blend, white rice, black beans, and these sweet ripe plantains. From frozen, she simply fried them in a little olive oil for a few minutes on each side. They were quite tasty—among the best plantains I've ever had.

The texture was soft and a little starchy, very similar to a raw banana. The flavor was surprisingly sweet, with no added sugars. The only ingredients in this offering are plantains and palm oil. They complemented our savory sides and gave the whole dish a wonderful natural sweetness.

$2.49 for the 6 serving bag, found in the frozen section. Kosher. Product of Honduras. Sonia and I would both buy again. I'll throw out a solid eight out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Sweet Ripe Plantains. The beautiful wifey will go with nine out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.