Plantains 

Banana, plantain comparison. Plantain is on top

First of all I cheated a little, the page I was supposed to pick a recipe from in the Joy of Cooking contained the most average sandwiches that don't really require a recipe (BLT etc.). This shows that the Joy of Cooking really does have a recipe for everything that you could ever want to cook but if you were new to North American cuisine you may want to start with the basics I suppose. Anyways I decided to move on to the next recipe on my list, plantains. I had been curious for a while about the differences between a banana and a plantain, they certainly look similar. In their raw state a ripe plantain tastes like a banana but much more subtly flavoured and far less sweet. From what I have read plantains are almost never eaten raw. The raw taste wasn't bad it was just very bland. The recipe was really simple, just cut the plantains into rounds and saute them. The pieces really like to stick together so I would suggest placing them in the pan instead of just dumping them in, like I did. This will ensure more even cooking and less burning. Cooking the plantains really distinguishes them from bananas. The inside of the slices had a consistency more like a cooked potato and according to the Joy of Cooking green plantains can cooked like a potato. After cooking the recipe suggested salt and pepper which was good but I also tried some powdered sugar, which I much preferred.

Certainly looks like a banana

Plantians are grown in most tropical climates from the Caribbean to Asia, with Uganda, Ghana and Colombia being the top producers. Plantains are consumed in many different types of dishes around the world but the common theme is that they are cooked like a potato, usually boiled or fried. It is a little strange looking at what is on your plate and thinking okay that looks like a banana but then eating it and realizing it is more like a potato. This ingredient has certainly sparked my curiosity and I would definitely buy them again.