Guineos, Plátanos, and Banana Leaves are essential in the Puerto Rican kitchen. We don’t just eat the fruit; we utilize the entire plant. In this post, we’ll be exploring the use of Guineos (bananas), Platanos (plantains), and Banana Leaves (hojas de platano) in traditional Puerto Rican cuisine.
Jump To
- Bananas as a food source
- Why do we call bananas guineos in Puerto Rico⁉︎ 🤔
- Ripe Bananas in Puerto Rican Cooking 🍌
- Fun Fact
- How Puerto Ricans Cook Plantains 🍽️
- How to Avoid and Remove Banana Stains
- La Mancha de Platano
- How to peel Guineos and Plátanos
- Banana Leaves in Puerto Rican Cooking
- How to cook with banana leaves recipes
- How to Soften (Amartiguar) Banana Leaves
- Bring Guineos and Plátanos Home
- FAQs
- More Traditional Puerto Rican Classics
- Comments
Bananas as a food source
Bananas or guineos (ghee-nay-ohs) grow everywhere in Puerto Rico, from urban neighborhoods to rural mountains. You’ll find them green, ripe, and everything in between. Green bananas are rich in potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, and fiber, especially when prepared as Guineos en Escabeche.
Why do we call bananas guineos in Puerto Rico⁉︎ 🤔
Did you know that Puerto Ricans are the only ones who call bananas guineos? Bananas originated in Southeast Asia and were introduced to the Americas during colonial times. They came through Guinea in Africa, which is how the name guineo stuck.
Each plant produces a racimo or bunch, and each bunch has manos (hands), clusters of bananas. A full bunch can have up to 150 bananas. I once walked through a produce processing plant and saw the massive refrigerators used for ripening. After a banana bunch forms, the plant begins to die. If you look closely at the base, you’ll see a sucker or sapling starting the next cycle.
Bananas come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The smallest are affectionately called guineos niños or baby bananas. I will use "guineos niños" as an umbrella term for the small varieties, such as Manzano and Lady Finger bananas. They’re about 4 to 5 inches long, starchier than regular bananas, and even sweeter when almost black. I used to grow a type of guineo niño plant (the house came with them, so I am not sure which variety I had) in Florida. They’re like a cross between the density of plantain and the sweetness of banana.
Ripe Bananas in Puerto Rican Cooking 🍌
I was not going to touch ripe bananas, but an honorary mention comes to mind. A fun treat, Banana Limbers. These are Puerto Rican ice pops made in small cups and frozen until solid. Just flip the cup, push it out, and enjoy!
Fun Fact
Limbers are said to be named after Charles Lindbergh, who visited Puerto Rico in 1928. Locals created the icy treat in his honor, and by the 1960s and 70s, they were being sold for a quarter at neighborhood balconies. Although I love a banana limber, coconut was always my favorite.
How Puerto Ricans Cook Plantains 🍽️
In Puerto Rico, the word plátano refers to plantains, not bananas. These starchy cousins are larger, firmer, and always cooked. They shine at every stage: green or ripe, and can easily feed a small family with just one fruit.
Green plantains are low in calories, high in potassium, and packed with starch and fiber. We boil them like potatoes, mash them into mofongo, or slice and fry them into tostones or crispy arañitas. Ripe plantains, called maduros or amarillos, are naturally sweet and are best fried or used in dishes like Pastelón (sweet plantain lasagna) or canoas de plátano maduro (plantain boats).
How to Avoid and Remove Banana Stains
Banana sap can stain everything from hands to pots. Here’s how to deal with it.
To prevent stains:
- Wear gloves when peeling or chopping.
- If you’re peeling by hand, a little oil can help reduce sticking, but be cautious, as it can make things slippery.
- Rub oil on your pot before cooking.
- Soak bananas in salty water: 1 tablespoon salt per 4 cups water, for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Add a splash of milk to your boiling water. It sounds strange, but it works.
To remove stains:
- Scrub hands with salt and oil, then rinse with lemon juice or vinegar.
- For pots and boards, use baking soda and vinegar, or assign a banana-only board or pot.
La Mancha de Platano
A term we use to describe a jibaro (person from the mountains that works the fields), but it stems from the stains the clothes and the hands would get from handling bananas and plantains.
How to peel Guineos and Plátanos
This method works well for bananas and plantains, green or ripe, and it is used when you need to fry or shred the fruit.
- Cut the bananas off the manon (the bunch or “hand” of bananas). Skip if bananas are loose.
- Trim the bottom end of each banana (opposite the stem).
- Position the banana so the stem end is at the top. Take a look at the thickness of the peel and make a slit along the peel from top to bottom, being careful not to cut into the flesh.
- Peel the skin off using the tip of your knife. If the peel is stubborn, gently slide the blade between the skin and the fruit to loosen it. Try not to cut away any of the fruit.
- Soak the peeled bananas in a salty water mixture, consisting of 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt, for 15 to 30 minutes. Save the soaking water if you're making tostones; it can be reused during cooking.
Banana Leaves in Puerto Rican Cooking
Banana leaves are essential in traditional recipes like Pasteles. They are waterproof, waxy, and release a subtle aroma during cooking. We use them for wrapping food, covering rice dishes like arroz con gandules, and even for roasting pork in dishes like I do in my version of Cochinita Pibil.
How to cook with banana leaves recipes
Banana leaves are easily found in Puerto Rico but may be sold frozen in U.S. Latin and Asian grocery stores. Online retailers also carry them. If you can’t find any, here are a few banana leaf substitutes: cabbage leaves, corn husks, or parchment paper.
How to Soften (Amartiguar) Banana Leaves
Even frozen banana leaves need softening. Here’s how to make them flexible and ready for wrapping:
- Step 1: Rinse or wipe the leaf clean.
- Step 2: Pass over low heat (an open flame or griddle) for a few seconds, or warm in a low oven.
- Step 3: The color will darken slightly and become pliable.
- Trim: Remove the thick central vein if you're wrapping, so the leaf folds easily. Trim edges if they're ragged or too wide for your use. You can also cut them into manageable squares or rectangles, depending on the recipe
- Step 5: Stack and keep covered with a towel until ready to use.
Bring Guineos and Plátanos Home
Next time you spot green bananas or plátanos at the store, pick some up and bring a little Puerto Rican flavor into your kitchen. Whether it’s a comforting escabeche or crispy tostones, there’s always something delicious waiting to happen.
FAQs
In Puerto Rico, guineos refers to both green and ripe bananas. The term originates from Guinea, a region where bananas were once exported, not because they call them guineos, but because we associated the fruit with the place. Over time, it became our local word for bananas.
No. Green bananas are very starchy and require cooking. They're often boiled, then served in dishes like escabeche or mashed as a side.
Plátanos (plantains) are cooked at all stages of ripeness. Green ones are used for tostones, mofongo, and arañitas. Ripe plátanos are sweet and can be fried into amarillos or used in pastelón.
No. Even when fully ripe, plantains are still starchy and tough. They need to be cooked, usually fried, baked, or boiled, to bring out their sweetness and soften their texture.
Banana leaves are used for wrapping or covering food. When heated, they soften and release a light, grassy aroma that adds subtle flavor to dishes.
Yes. Heating makes them pliable and prevents cracking. Pass them over a flame or warm them in the oven before using them to wrap or cover food.
No. They're not edible. Banana leaves are used for cooking, but are discarded before serving.
More Traditional Puerto Rican Classics
- Puerto Rican Homemade Sofrito15 Minutes
- Funche, Puerto Rican Grits3 Minutes
- Puerto Rican Bacalao a la Vizcaina30 Minutes
- Budín de Pan (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)50 Minutes
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