Musa x paradisiaca (Plantain, Cooking Banana)

Many cooking bananas are referred to as plantains or 'green bananas'. In botanical usage, the term 'plantain' is used only for true plantains, while other starchy cultivars used for cooking are called 'cooking bananas'. True plantains are cooking cultivars belonging to the AAB group, while cooking bananas are any cooking cultivar belonging to the AAB, AAA, ABB, or BBB groups. The currently accepted scientific name for all such cultivars in these groups is Musa × paradisiaca. Originally, bananas and plantains were classified into two species, Musa sapientum and Musa paradisiaca respectively. But it’s now recognised that both are hybrids — produced by cross-breeding two wild species: Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana.

The savoury sibling of the banana, plantains are a major food staple in Africa and the Americas. Green plantains are fried, boiled or processed into flour to be used in a variety of tasty dishes.