Plantains are the less sweet, starchier equivalent to the banana. Sweet bananas, sometimes called “dessert bananas” are much more popular in the United States and Europe, but plantains are an extremely important staple for people in tropical countries.

Unlike dessert bananas, plantains are almost always cooked before eating. In fact, they taste pretty awful raw, so don’t be tricked by their banana-like features.

Cooked plantains are nutritionally very similar to a potato, calorie-wise, but contain more of certain vitamins and minerals. They’re a rich source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and B-6, and the minerals magnesium and potassium.

Unlike bananas, people usually cook plantains before eating them. Cooking methods include frying, baking, and boiling.

People can also eat plantains at different stages of ripeness, from when the fruit is green through to when it is yellow and black.

Drying and grinding green plantains produces a flour that people use in Caribbean and West Indian cooking.