Why Plantain Deserves Its Own Fan Club

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By Sekinat Abdulwakil

If there were ever a food worthy of a fan club, plantain would be first in line. Some foods need hype, others need defending, but plantain? Plantain simply exists, and the world bows. Ripe, unripe, fried, roasted, or boiled. It shows up every single time and leaves people asking for more.

 

Think about it: fried plantain next to jollof rice is a golden crown on a plate. Without it, the rice feels naked, unfinished, almost embarrassed. Dodo (the Yoruba name for plantain) has achieved near-royalty status, the kind of food that can silence an argument with one sweet, caramelized bite.

 

And then there’s unripe plantain, who might not trend like its ripe sibling, but ask anyone who has eaten it, the culinary equivalent of being wrapped in a cozy blanket while someone says, “Everything will be okay.”

 

What makes plantain iconic is its versatility. You want breakfast? Slice it into hot oil and pair it with beans. Do you want street food? Hunt down boli by the roadside, charred and smoky, eaten with groundnut or pepper sauce. You want a snack? Plantain chips are waiting in every shop corner, crunching happily between lectures, office meetings, or long bus rides. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student with ₦200 or a fine-dining enthusiast willing to pay for “plantain mille-feuille.” Plantain slides easily across classes and cultures, never losing its shine.

 

Culturally, plantain has woven itself into our lives so deeply that it almost feels like a family member. Nigerians argue endlessly about politics, fuel price, and which jollof rice is superior, but let someone say, “I don’t like plantain,” and suddenly the whole room falls silent. People stare like you just confessed to a crime. To dislike plantain is to raise suspicion about your very humanity.

 

Plantain also has range, even more than some movie actors. It can play the sweet romantic lead (ripe and fried), the strong dependable friend (boiled green plantain with vegetables), or the fiery rebel (boli with pepper sauce)and sometimes, it’s playful and crisp (plantain chips). You think you’ve seen all its sides, and then someone invents plantain bread, plantain pancakes, or plantain swallow, and you realize it’s still full of surprises.

 

So yes, maybe it’s time we stopped pretending. Plantain deserves more than our casual affection. It deserves fan chants, membership cards, maybe even jerseys with “Team Dodo” boldly across the chest. Because whether ripe or unripe, fried or roasted, sweet or savory, plantain will always be that one food that never disappoints, the food that unites us all under its golden banner.

 

Long live plantain. The true superstar of the table.