The dish is made up of boiled plantains, coupled with butter and olive oil, stuffed with savory sides. It is sometimes called "el plátano embrutece," attributed to the common myth among the superstitious that children who eat the dish will not get smarter.

Contrary to popular belief, plantains contain a lot of nutrients, and they boost vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium, almost twice as much as a regular banana, especially since these are a good source of fiber. In addition, the fruit is also low in fats and sodium, and practically cholesterol-free.


Origins of Mashed Plantains

In the 1500s, plantains were brought to the Dominican Republic from the Canary Islands, just as it was a well and widely used crop in West Africa for other dishes similar to mangú, such as matoke and fufu, which is also found in Cuba.

Mangú may be of African origins, like many other dishes in the Dominican Republic, but books that discuss the starting point of how mangú came to are vague.

A common belief is that the recipe was already widely used in Dominican culture by the second American occupation since it was mentioned by cookbooks dating decades before even the first occupation.

Another interesting fact is that the word "mangú" is also used among the Azande people in the Republic of Congo. Mangu refers to an "organic phenomenon" that is inherited from the ancestors down to generations. It is considered a magical substance in the stomach of witches, who use it for witchcraft.


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Recipe for Mangú

To cook the dish, prepare four unripe plantains, salt that is one and a half teaspoon's worth, four teaspoons of olive oil or butter, and one cup of water.

First, the plantains must be peeled and cut in half before it is divided again into two so that there must be four pieces of each of the plantains. Meanwhile, prepare the water to boil these in. Add salt before you turn on the heat. Wait until the fruit is very soft before you take them out of the water.

At this point, you must mash the plantains to level them down. Then, add in the olive oil or melted butter and the cup of water. Make sure there are no lumps-just keep mashing and mixing so that the outcome will turn smooth.

Here are a few tips to remember: The plantains must be unripe or green. These can be bought in smaller markets as opposed to the ripe yellow ones, which, apart from being more available, are also easier to peel. For green plantains, put them in hot water and loosen the peel.

One piece of advice that is quite uncommonly taken about making mangú is to mash the cooked plantains with cold water. Chefs, cooking instructors, and grandmothers from all across the country agree that this will make the mangú so much smoother and creamier.