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LIVING making carbs count
Power plant
Now grown in tropical
climes worldwide, legend
has it that Alexander the
Great introduced the
plantain to Europe during his world
conquest around 327 BC. As trading
increased, it then found its way to
Madagascar from Malaysia and India.
And, while they may look like
their well-known cousin, the banana,
plantain offers a far different taste,
making exciting and nourishing
dishes that are firm favourites in
Latin, Caribbean and African cuisine.
Plantains are generally enjoyed as
a staple carbohydrate, like potato,
rather than as a fruit but offer plenty
of versatility. While bananas are
sweet and soft and can be eaten
uncooked, starchy plantain needs
cooking to soften its tough texture.
According to the website Foods
From Africa, The Plantain (Musa
paradisiaca) is a plant of the banana
(Musaceae) family which makes
it closely related to the banana.
Like bananas, it too flourishes well
in tropical moisture-rich, humid,
low-lying farmlands. The botanical
classification of plantains and
bananas is so complicated that
plantain is viewed as a subspecies
of the banana, and the banana as a
subspecies of the plantain. However,
the plantain is typically larger than
the common banana. Once ripe,
plantains too, like bananas, are very
fragile and show signs of decay in a
short time span.
A 100g serving of plantain provides
roughly 8% of the recommended
daily intake of fibre. Fibre has no
fat-burning properties. However,
it helps with weight loss because
high-fibre foods tend to have a lower
energy density, which means they
provide fewer calories per gram of
food. In addition, as a high-fibre
food, plantains add bulk to food
intake, which makes you feel full
and also aids digestion. The feeling
of fullness helps with weight and
portion control. As a result, a person
on a high-fibre diet can consume
the same amount of food, but with
fewer calories.
Plantain are a good source
of magnesium. 100g of plantain
contains approximately 16 percent
of the body's daily requirement of
It may look like a banana; however, plantain is
anything but in terms of flavour and texture. We
find out more about this go-to staple for exotic,
savoury dishes…