Cuban · side
Fufú de Plátano
Fufú de Plátano reads richness 6.4, umami 6.2 and salinity 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cuban side, about 43 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 6.8 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 2.3 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 6.7 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 4.3 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 6.7 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Richness 6.4 · Umami 6.2 · Salinity 5.9 · Sourness 5.2 · Citrus 5.2 · Allium 4.4 · Smoke 3.8 · Earthy 2.1 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Sweetness 1.9 · Fruity 1.4 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Bitterness 1.3 · Nutty 1.0
What's in it (12)
- green plantains — 900 g
- water — 1500 g
- salt — 10 g
- bacon — 150 g
- olive oil — 41 g
- onion — 150 g
- garlic — 32 g
- cumin — 5 g
- dried leaf oregano — 1 g
- chicken stock — 180 g
- lime juice — 30 g
- freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
Time & effort: about 43 min · effort: medium
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 63.5 kcal, 1.5 g protein, 1 g fat, 12.2 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (7 steps)
- Fufú is the oldest layer of Cuban cooking, carried from West Africa, and it is a boiled mash rather than the fried-plantain mash of Puerto Rican mofongo — softer, wetter, and eaten with a spoon alongside stewed meat. The name and the method both come from the West African fufu; the Cuban version dresses it with sofrito and pork fat.
- Boil the plantain chunks in the salted water for about 22 minutes, until a knife slides through easily and the pieces are on the edge of falling apart. Reserve a cup of the water in case you need it later.
- While they cook, render the diced bacon in the olive oil over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until the fat has run and the pieces are crisp. Lift out about half the bacon for the top.
- Add the onion and garlic to the fat with the cumin and oregano and cook 6 minutes over medium heat, until soft and fragrant. This is the sofrito, and in Cuba it is cumin and oregano rather than the ají dulce and recao of Puerto Rico.
- Drain the plantains and mash them straight into the pan of sofrito while they are still very hot, loosening with the hot stock a splash at a time, about 5 minutes. The texture should be soft enough to fall from a spoon; add the reserved cooking water if it tightens.
- Fold everything together for 2 minutes so the fat and mash are one thing.
- Finish with the lime juice and black pepper, and scatter the reserved bacon over. Serve with a stew that has plenty of sauce.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- One-Pot Kielbasa and White Bean Skillet — American
- Grilled Ancho Chile Rubbed Flat Iron Steak — Tex-Mex
- Quimbombó con Bolitas de Plátano — Cuban
- Mofongo con Chicharrón — Puerto Rican
- Ground Beef Tacos with Crunchy Shells — Tex-Mex
Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.