Green is the word that Ecuadorians use to refer interchangeably to plantains, the tropical fruits that lead agricultural exports and have made Ecuador the largest exporter in the world. Therefore, besides being a crucial food in the daily diet, it is an important driver of the Ecuadorian economy.
What is the origin of green?
Green is a tropical plant from the Musaceae family, one of the ancestors of bananas. Originally from Australasia, it is cultivated in more than 130 countries, from Southeast Asia where it is native and grows naturally, to Oceania and South America. The main global producer of green is India, where almost a quarter of the fruits sold worldwide are grown, although many of them are for domestic consumption. The main exporter is Ecuador: according to the Export Promotion and Investment Institute ProEcuador, 30% of all plantains sold worldwide come from Ecuador, especially from the coastal region of Manabí. The volume of plantain production is only surpassed by wheat, rice, and maize. The continuous year-round production of the fruit makes it especially valuable as food during harvest seasons in tropical countries, mainly the macho plantains.
It requires fertile, slightly acidic or neutral soils, prefers denser soils that are less sandy, and tolerates drought much better. It does not tolerate salt. Prefers full sun, but can tolerate semi-shade. Depending on climatic conditions, it can grow up to 2000 meters above sea level. Today, the vast majority of plants cultivated for this fruit come from the variety obtained by crossing Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, although the latter is still cultivated in the Japanese Ryukyu islands, imported from China or the Philippines, for the textile fiber obtained from its leaves, called ito-basho.
The most immature of all plantains
Green or brown in color, macho plantain is the second variety most exported by Ecuador. Its pulp has less water (making it firmer) and is not as sweet, which makes it widely used as a side dish (often replacing potatoes). Green is a fruit with a linear shape measuring 7 to 15 cm in length and up to 4 cm in diameter, forming a compact bunch. It is covered by a green skin when immature (intensely yellow when ripe). The end tapers sharply to a thin support of 1 to 2 cm. The pulp is white, rich in starch, and sweet. The black spots that speckle the pulp are the remaining undeveloped ovules. Seeds are black, round or irregular, with a rough surface, up to 6x5mm in size, embedded in the pulp. The more seeds, the larger the green becomes.
The endless versatility of green
Macho plantain must be cooked before eating because its main contribution is starch, which makes the green indigestible when raw; however, there are many ways to prepare green: it can be grilled, boiled, baked, fried, cooked with or without skin… served as a snack or side dish. The leaves of the plantain are used to wrap various meats, such as fish or chicken, imparting a delicate citrus flavor and forming a gelatinous, viscous layer around the meat. This tradition has been used since ancient times to protect food from direct fire. The leaves are left to wilt over a barbecue or griddle until dark green, then cut along the central vein and are ready to wrap different foods. Green is used to prepare many typical Ecuadorian recipes such as chifles, patacones, bolón, empanadas, tortillas, majado, Repe Lojano, etc.
In Ecuador, the green never misses from the table!
