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Bolón de verde 📍 Ecuador 🇪🇨 Taste Ecuador: tasteatlas.com/ecuador A staple of Ecuador’s coastal region, bolón de verde (literally "large green ball") is a traditional dumpling made from green plantains. The dish typically features the barraganete variety, a large, starch-dense plantain prized for its ability to hold its shape during mashing. The preparation begins by boiling or frying chunks of the green plantain until soft. While still hot, they are mashed with butter, lard, salt, and cumin to form a thick, pliable dough. This dough is shaped into baseball-sized spheres and stuffed with savory fillings. Once stuffed and sealed, the dumpling is fried a second time to develop a deeply crunchy outer crust while keeping the inside soft. It is traditionally served hot for breakfast or mid-afternoon Merienda, accompanied by a fried egg, hot ají salsa, and black coffee. Video: Nievita Zambrano