The Plantain And The Dominican Culture

The plantain is very important to me and to the Dominican culture. It is part of our identity, and it is a staple food of the Dominican Republic. So much so, that there is a saying used to express how Dominican someone is. The saying goes, “he/she is more Dominican than the plantain.” There is even an old song that uses the plantain as a metaphor. The chorus of the song says, “platano maduro no vuelve a verde”, which translates to, “ripe plantain does not return to being green.” This is saying to put the past behind you and move on. To begin, the plantain is significant to me because it is a part of my culture, and something I grew up with. I can remember when I was younger hearing the crackling sounds of the hot oil as my mom was frying