Meaning
A large starchy cousin of the banana, eaten cooked rather than raw. Ripe plantain is fried into sweet golden slices — a beloved side with rice and peas, ackee, or fried fish. Green (unripe) plantain is boiled, or thin-sliced and fried into salty plantain chips. A staple of the Jamaican plate, not to be confused with the eating banana.
Examples
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Fry up some ripe plantain fi go wid di rice.
Fry some ripe plantain to go with the rice.
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Green plantain boil nice inna di pot.
Green plantain boils up nicely in the pot.
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Mi love di sweet fried plantain pon mi plate.
I love the sweet fried plantain on my plate.
Origin
From Spanish 'plátano'; a Caribbean staple distinct from the sweet dessert banana.
How it’s used
Cooked, not eaten raw: ripe = fried sweet, green = boiled or fried as chips. A core Jamaican side. See [[green-banana]], [[rice-and-peas]].