Jibarito facts for kids
A jibarito made with grilled chicken
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| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Aguada, Puerto Rico and Chicago, Illinois |
| Main ingredients | Plantains, garlic-flavored mayonnaise, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes |
The jibarito (say it like hee-bah-REE-toh) is a special kind of sandwich. Instead of using bread, it uses flattened, fried green plantains! It also has aioli (which is a garlic-flavored mayonnaise).
Inside a jibarito, you'll usually find tasty fillings. These often include meat, cheese, fresh lettuce, and tomato. The very first jibarito was made with steak. Today, steak is still a popular choice, but you can also find jibaritos with chicken or pork.
History of the Jibarito
The jibarito sandwich became famous in Chicago, Illinois. A restaurant owner named Juan "Peter" Figueroa created it. He introduced the jibarito at his Puerto Rican restaurant, Borinquen Restaurant, in 1996.
Mr. Figueroa got the idea from a sandwich he read about. This earlier sandwich, made in Puerto Rico in 1991, also used plantains instead of bread. The word jibarito is a small version of Jíbaro. It means "little country person" or "little yokel".
Soon, the jibarito became very popular in Chicago. Other Latin-American restaurants started making it too. This included Mexican, Cuban, and Argentinian places. Now, you can even find jibaritos in some regular restaurants!
Other Plantain Sandwiches
The jibarito wasn't the first sandwich to use fried plantains. Other Latin American countries had similar ideas before it. For example, Colombian cuisine has a dish called patacones. This dish also uses fried plantains.
Another similar sandwich was created in 1991. Jorge Muñoz and Coquí Feliciano made it at their restaurant, Plátano Loco. Their restaurant was in Aguada, Puerto Rico.
See also
In Spanish: Jibarito para niños
