Come visit Tu Tipico Dominicano in New West New Brighton.

Mofongo, rice, maduro, and tostones. One thing you should know about Caribbean Spanish food, specifically Dominican and Puerto Rican cuisine, is that plantains are used in many dishes. Both the yellow ones (maduros) and the green ones (verdes) are common, but the green plantains are the most versatile.

Maduros are sweet and usually served in small fried pieces, either as a snack or, more often, as a side dish. Verdes, on the other hand, can be turned into tostones, which are fried, smashed, and salted, and are also typically served as a side. Even though green plantains don’t have much flavor on their own, they are essential to some of the best Puerto Rican and Dominican dishes, like mofongo. Mofongo looks a bit like an oversized yellow cupcake at first glance. It’s made from fried green plantains mashed together with some type of meat—chicken, pork, shrimp, and more. It may not look like a lot, but it’s extremely dense.

Mofongo can include meat, and I recommend you try it with pork shoulder, pernil, if you want a more authentic Caribbean experience. When I finally ate, I started with the mofongo. Since green plantains don’t have much flavor, most of the taste came from the pork, and it was amazing. The maduro were sweet and soft, and the tostones weren’t too thick or thin and were crunchy. 

Overall, if you’re looking for affordable Caribbean Spanish food, or just want to see how many ways a banana can be turned into a meal, you should check out Tu Típico Dominicano.