Trader Joe's Sweet Plantain Chips, Snacks, 5.3 oz.

The Quindo region of Colombia is part of the so-called coffee

triangle (Tringulo del Caf), widely considered one of the best

places to grow coffee beans. It is less widely considered one of

the best places to grow plantains but this doesn't make that fact

any less true! The volcanic soil, altitude, proximity to the

equatorial line, and consistent climate make this region an

exceptional environment for growing this banana cultivar.

Trader Joe's Sweet Plantain Chips

start with plantains

grown in

this very region. Bunches are harvested by hand to reduce

bruising. After harvest, the plantains are allowed extra time to

ripen to a sweetness of 24 brix (natural sugar content level),

as opposed to only 12 brixa more typical number for other

plantain growers. The profoundly sweet, ripe plantains are

also exceedingly soft at this pointal most too soft to cut. Our

Colombian supplier carefully peels each plantain by hand, and

hand-feeds each one into a cutting machine to further protect

the fruit. The sweet plantain slices then take a quick dip in hot

sunflower oil, just until perfectly crisp. When your hand

reaches into the bag, you'll pull out a handful of crunchy,

gluten free chips with a sweetness all their own (absolutely no

sugar is added). While they're a superb standalone snack,

they also synergize spectacularly with all kinds of dips, but

especially ones that have a bit of sweet and savory to them,

like our Pineapple Salsa.