On Food and Cooking

consistency, and a distinctive aroma due
primarily to amyl acetate and other esters, and
green, floral, and clove (eugenol) notes.
Banana acidity also increases during ripening,
sometimes twofold, so the flavor becomes
more full in several dimensions. Ripe
plantains generally retain a dry, starchy
texture and can be treated as potatoes are,
fried or mashed or cooked in chunks.
The pulp of these fruits is colored by
carotenoids — plantain varieties often more
noticeably — and tannins often make the
unripe pulp astringent. Bananas and plantains
are very prone to brown-black discoloration
thanks to browning enzymes and phenolic
substances in defensive latex-bearing vessels
associated with the vascular system. These
substances slowly decline by about half
during ripening, so once a fruit is ripe, it can
be refrigerated with relatively little
discoloration of the flesh (the peel will still
turn black).