Bannann Peze

The Cultural Story

Bannann peze — pressed plantains — are the workhorse of the Haitian table. They are never absent. They appear alongside griot, tassot, poul nan sos, and legim. They are eaten for breakfast with eggs. They are sold by street vendors at all hours. The technique of frying twice with a smash in between is a process specific to the Caribbean and parts of Central America, and in Haiti it is performed with particular pride. The first fry cooks the plantain through and begins the browning. The smash — done with the flat of a cup, a tostonera, or the bottom of a bottle — flattens the piece and opens it up so the second fry can reach more surface area. What emerges from the second fry is something with more crunch per bite than a simple fried plantain, something that catches salt and holds it in all its rough edges. Bannann peze are simple enough that anyone can make them, and complex enough in their execution that doing them badly — too oily, too soft, too thick — is noticed immediately. The best ones are golden, crisp-edged, and slightly salty, and they disappear from the plate faster than anything else on the table.