Rafiat gives insight to what the state of the planet might be like if plantain goes extinct. Can’t, shouldn’t, won’t – lots to think about, hilariously too. Thank you, Rafiat – read and enjoy people. I can’t picture myself living in a world without plantain. It’s unimaginable and possibly cannot happen. Before I proceed, I’ll take you down the ‘plantain’ memory lane. God looked down on His green earth with benevolence and decided to bless we humans with plantain as an edible sometime in 1100. Without a doubt, this marked the beginning of an overflow of blessings to mankind, one...
Aplatanado, Aplatanada – On Acceptance, By Plantain
There are interesting concepts in places and languages that express cultural acceptance, that touch on home and identity. Like aplatanado (male), aplatanada (female). In Cuba and The Dominican Republic, it’s a term that describes someone who has become ‘one of us’ – aplatanado or aplatanada. At the root of it is the word, platanos, of plantains. Plantains are a ubiquitous part of both cultures – widely consumed, beloved and respected. They are staples! From Cuban sopa de platanos, a plantain soup to the Dominican Mangú , of mashed green plantains, there are numerous dishes, explorations with this fruit of the family musa...
Guest Post – Dodo, Far From Home
I know this feeling of being away from home and looking for plantain, and finding some from Colombia and other places and you sha buying and dreaming of Ogoni plantains – because they have the best ever! Thank you Francesca for sharing this funny, true in many ways piece. May you find plantain where ever you journey o. Amen If you’re away from home, in Obodo Oyinbo, for example and the local grocery stores only occasionally have good ripe plantains, it is your patriotic duty to buy as many of them as will fit in your house. You must do it...
Guest Post: Dodo Musings
Dija is musing about life and dodo, and I dare say it’s comfort food for her. Especially being away from home. And that’s what comfort food does – makes you hanker, remember, desire and even celebrate it. Your precious dodo – and plantain chips – will be waiting on your return, babe x I’m not a dodo snob or purist. And by that I really mean I’m not a plantain snob. Maybe it’s because I still eat like a student. I will eat dodo as long as it is dodo – whether it is firm because it was made with...
Guest Post: Dodo – Love, Outside the Box
Mercy just loves dodo – any which way. I like to think of her as an equal opportunity dodo lover. Thank you Mercy, for your contribution. They say love doesn’t come in a box, I totally agree – it comes on a plate, full of yellowish-brown dodo. Every time I see a bunch of plantain ripening, I do a happy dance; when it is made into dodo, I get butterflies. That right there is true love *laughs* Now on to my perfect dodo. I prefer my dodo ripe but not too ripe, that way it is a bit crunchy and...
Guest Post: How to Eat the Perfect Dodo
Look, when somebody begins to divide people into camps based on plantain, you know it’s serious! Dozie does a beautiful job of guiding us through not only eating Dodo, but plantain as well. Thank you so much for sharing good plantain spots in Nigeria 🙂 . Enjoy the read, people. “There are two types of people on earth: People who love plantain, And people who are incapable of managing greatness” * Along an inter-city road just outside Calabar, there’s a village called Atimbo that is famous for a superlative culinary experience to be found within a collection of thatch and...
Guest Post: If there’s Plantain, I Can Make it Home…’
I loved everything about Tolu’s piece – the concept and association of home. And her poetry, her short exploration of home – a video in which a variety of people share what home means to them – is full of taste memories and is only 3: 39 minutes. Thank you, Tolu for your beautiful contribution, for reminding me, us that homes are built – with love, comfort, care. ….or home is where the plantain is. [youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huX1eoV7_tI”] The best type of plantain for dodo is ripe to almost over-ripe. It’s a fine yellow with streaks of black that gives just...
Ayobami’s Plansagna: Dodo meets Lasagna
Ayobami says: ‘I have recently started experimenting with what we’re calling plansagna at this time: pan-fried dodo at the base, layered with shaved steak, grilled peppers, and mozzarella, then baked. It’s still a work in progress but it’s my most exciting dodo creation for now. To make plansagna, you’ll need: Dodo Steak, sliced thinnly Grilled peppers Mozzarella I added ata din din Here’s what I did. I prepped everything to start: Roasted peppers, skinned and sliced Fried plantain aka dodo Grated mozzarella cheese Grilled and sliced steak First in plantain, in a single layer. Topped with steak Followed by the...
Guest Post: The Importance of Dodo
Ayobami’s twitter bio says it all ‘…I’ll do it for Dodo’. His piece was the first one I received in the #Dodotales and I laughed my head off. The best part was reading about his creation – plansagna (recipe in the next post). A few highlights: ripe, salt. And those resonate deeply with me. Thank you, Ayobami for your delightful contribution. “Finding your preferred person to share life with is important, but finding your preferred Dodo is importanter”; Ayobami O. ’18 In the first few years after my love was kindled, my mother was certain that I would one day fall...