Plantains are a major food staple in Africa, and they are the fruit of the Musa Paradisiaca, a type of banana plant. Many people confuse plantains with bananas, and although they look a lot like green bananas and are a close relative, plantains are very different. They are starchy, not sweet. They are used as a vegetable in most recipes in Africa, and not eaten as a fruit. And they are usually cooked before being eaten. especially in Latin America and Africa. How you cook plantain as a component of an African recipe depends on what part of Africa you are from. Plantains can be boiled, roasted, baked or grilled. In Nigeria, plantain is enjoyed mostly sliced diagonally and fried, a dish called dodo, or roasted on top of hot charcoals. This is a popular street food called Bolé. Ghana's most popular street food Kelewele is made from plantains, diced, spiced and fried. In the Congo region, plantains are eitther peeled, sliced, and boiled, or cut into rondelles and fried in oil, a dish called Makemba.
