Bolon de verde

This classic Ecuadorian breakfast dish, Bolon de verde which is accompanied it with hot coffee, a fried egg, hot sauce, and some tomato or avocado slices, consists of green plantains which are fried over medium heat until very tender, then mashed into dough, stuffed with cheese or pork /chicharrones, formed into round balls, and then fried again until crispy.

Bolon is a slang term that means large ball, so you could translate the name of this dish as green plantain balls, but the erm “green plantain dumpling” is probably a better food translation.

Chicharrones are fried pork rinds, what is called chicharrones in Ecuador, which are actually chunks of deep fried fatty pork meat. Some of the Bolon de verde variations you can find now-a-days, have shrimp or herbs such as green onion and coriander.

Some historians have indicated that the bolón de verde comes from Cuba. This was the food of the African slaves as prepared by the English conquerors.

Cuban historian Fernando Ortiz points out that this recipe is of African descent and is still very popular in Cuba, where it is called ‘Fufú de platano’: mashed plantains mixed with onion, garlic, and pork cracklings.

Although there is no data to certify that the Ecuadorian green bolón received direct influence from Cuba, in Ecuador and on the Ecuadorian coast the smell of green plantains and pork cracklings frying in big pans fill the streets.