What is the difference between plantains and bananas if any?

Answer 1

What is a Plantain? Plantains vs. Bananas?

What is a Plantain? • The Difference between Plantains & Bananas

What is a Plantain?

Plantains are a member of the banana family. They are a starchy, low in sugar variety that is cooked before serving as it is unsuitable raw. It is used in many savory dishes somewhat like a potato would be used and is very popular in Western Africa and the Caribbean countries. It is usually fried or baked.

Plantains are native to India and are grown most widely in tropical climates. Plantains are sometimes referred to as the pasta and potatoes of the Caribbean. Sold in the fresh produce section of the supermarket, they usually resemble green bananas but ripe plantains may be black in color. This vegetable-banana can be eaten and tastes different at every stage of development. The interior color of the fruit will remain creamy, yellowish or lightly pink. When the peel is green to yellow, the flavor of the flesh is bland and its texture is starchy. As the peel changes to brown or black, it has a sweeter flavor and more of a banana aroma, but still keeps a firm shape when cooked.

The plantain averages about 65% moisture content and the banana averages about 83% moisture content. Since hydrolysis, the process by which starches are converted to sugars, acts fastest in fruit of higher moisture content it converts starches to sugars faster in bananas than it does in plantains. A banana is ready to eat when the skin is yellow whereas a plantain is not ready to eat "out of hand" until hydrolysis has progressed to the point where the skin is almost black.

Plantains grow best in areas with constant warm temperatures and protection from strong winds. They have been grown in scattered locations throughout Florida since the 16th century. Because of the occasional freezes, Florida is considered a marginal area for plantain production. They are available year round in the supermarket.


The Difference Between Plantains & Bananas


Plantains
Starchy
Used as a vegetable
Longer than bananas
Thicker skin
Resemble green bananas, but may be green, yellow or black

Bananas
Sweet
Eaten as a fruit
Shorter than plantains
Thinner skin
Color is green when not fully ripe, yellow when ripe


Many people confuse plantains with bananas, some of the differences are noted above. Although they look a lot like green bananas and are a close relative, plantains are very different. They are starchy, not sweet, and they are used as a vegetable in many recipes, especially in Latin America and Africa. Plantains are sold in the fresh produce section of the supermarket, they usually resemble green bananas; ripe plantains may be black in color. Plantains are longer than bananas and they have thicker skins. They also have natural brown spots and rough areas.

Answer 2

Well bananas, you can eat them 'raw', and plantains, you cook them. I guess it's because the taste is usually much sweeter, and hot. Depends what kind of plantains though. Some are actually harder, and when you cook it, it becomes crispy. That's like asking what's the difference between apples and apple pie .. . :)

Answer 3

Plantains are often used solely for cooking, since they don't have much moisture. Bananas are more soft (due to more humidity) and can be eaten raw.

Answer 4

Both are plants of the genus (Musa). Plantain being courser and better to eat cooked ,and bananas being sweeter.

Answer 5

plantains are alot bigger then regular bananas, they have thicker skin and are not as sweet

Answer 6

You have to cook plantains... they have less sugar - it's more like a vegetable.

Answer 7

Cousin to the banana,lower sugar content.Better for cooking

Answer 8

Hard banana

Answer 9

they're not different, a plantain is just an unripe banana

Answer 10

plantains are a different variety of fruit, but quite similar to bananas.
Read this:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cricket.biol.sc.edu/acmoore/mysteryplants/153%2520plantains.JPG&imgrefurl=http://cricket.biol.sc.edu/acmoore/mysteryplants/153.html&h=300&w=400&sz=30&hl=en&start=5&tbnid=4xnA2fMSaM27HM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplantains%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG