Guineo

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Guineo bananas for sale at a supermarket

Guineos (pronounced [ɡiˈneos]) usually refers to an unripe banana. The term guineo is sometimes used in reference to its ripened counterpart: the yellow (ripened) banana. The word Guineo comes from Guinea, a country in the west of Africa, as it is one of the places from which bananas originate. Some make a distinction between the two and refer to green bananas as guineos verdes (green bananas) and yellow bananas as guineos (ripe bananas).

Guineos are not to be confused with plantains, which are far starchier than the guineo and cannot be used in the same ways.

Guineos are used widely in Latin American cooking as they are versatile, inexpensive, and filling.

Dominican Republic[]

Green banana are also commonly used in sancocho, mondongo and other soups.

Guineítos a dish where green bananas are boiled then sauteed with peppers and onions.

Mangú can also be made with green banana although this is less common.

El Salvador[]

Bananas whether green or ripe are called guineos in El Salvador. Guineos are a popular fruit in the country and are used for the popular desert chocobanano which is a frozen guineo covered in chocolate and sprinkles or other toppings on top.

Puerto Rico[]

In Puerto Rico cooking green bananas are used in dishes such as viandas con ajilimójili, pasteles, sopa de mondongo and sancocho. There are also many other dishes on the island which use green bananas. Green banana flour is widely available throughout Puerto Rico and used for making pancakes, crêpe, waffles, cookies, cake, tortilla, bread, and other pastries.

• Alcapurrias – A classic fitters from Puerto Rico that has gain popularity threw parts of Latin American, Caribbean, and United States. Green banana and yautía is considered the original alcapurria. The masa can also contain a small amount of squash and potatoe seasoned with lard, annatto, salt, and garlic. They are filled with meat of choice and fried. Most traditional filled with picadillo or seasoned corned beef.
• Escabeche – Green banana and chicken gizzard pickled in a garlicky brine with bay leaves, garlic, olive oil, onions, olives and other ingredients.
• Dompling de Guineo – These dumplings are made from grated green banana, green plantain, celeriac, potatoe, yautía, mixed with flour or tapioca, milk, eggs, garlic, cilantro, and parsley. They are rolled into small balls and deep-fried fried. They can be prepared a day's advance. The dumplings are made for soups such as asopao de gandules (pigeon peas and dumpling soup), ajo de pollo y huevo (garlic chicken and egg soup), and sopa de guineos (Green banana soup).
• – A thick stew made with pig organs as the key ingredient. Besides pig's heart, kidneys, and liver, the dish is prepared with ingredients such as Manzanilla olives, sofrito, and capers. It is recommended to serve gandinga with avocado and boiled green bananas on the side. The dish is important gastronomic in Afro-Puerto Rican culture as slaves were given limited food sources of animal organs and bananas.
• Guineo Niño – Also called jibarito envueltos are yellow finger bananas mixed in a batter of flour, baking soda, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and milk. They are then deep-fried and eaten like banana split or alone. They can also have additional coconut flakes and spices in the batter.
• Guineos Verdes en Fricasé – Green bananas cooked in a spicy tomato base fricassee sauce with recaíto, capers, chilies, and olives.
• Macabeos – Green bananas are boiled and mashed with annatto oil and a small amount of uncooked green banana. They are then filled with any meat of choice, made into small balls and deep-fried. This crescent shaped banana fritter is found mainly in the town of Trujillo Alto, which celebrates a Macabeo festival each year.
• Serenata de Bacalao – Salted cod fish mixed with tropical root vegetables, green bananas, cabbage, chayote, hard boiled eggs, and avocado. The boiled vegetables, green bananas, and chayote are then sauteed with peppers, much olive oil and vinegar. The cod is shredded and mixed in. The salad is then garnished with cilantro, eggs, avocado, and onions.