Jibarito
Green plantain sandwich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The jibarito (Spanish: [xiβaˈɾito]) is a sandwich originating from Chicago’s Puerto Rican community. It is made with flattened, fried green plantains instead of bread, aioli, and a filling consisting of meat, cheese (generally American), lettuce, tomato, and sometimes onion and crushed garlic.[1][2][3] The original jibarito had a steak filling, and that remains the predominant variety, but other ingredients, such as chicken and pork, are also common.
A jibarito made with grilled chicken | |
| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Venezuela and Aguada, Puerto Rico and Chicago, Illinois |
| Main ingredients | Plantains, garlic-flavored mayonnaise, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes |
History
Chicago restaurateur Juan "Peter" Figueroa[1] introduced the jibarito at Borinquen Restaurant, a Puerto Rican restaurant in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, in 1996.[1][2] The twice-fried plantain chip used as the base of the sandwich is inspired by Venezuelan patacones, also known in Puerto Rico as tostones. The name is a diminutive of jíbaro and means "little yokel".[3]
The sandwich's popularity soon spread to other Latin American restaurants around Chicago, including Mexican, Cuban and Argentinian establishments, and jibaritos now can be found in some mainstream restaurants as well.[4]
Related sandwiches
Other Latin American sandwiches served on fried plantains predate the jibarito. They include a Venezuelan cuisine specialty called a patacones and a 1991 invention by Jorge Muñoz and Coquí Feliciano served at their restaurant, Plátano Loco, in Aguada, Puerto Rico.[5]
Reception
The Daily Meal included the jibarito in their article "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of".[6] Time Out called the jibarito an "ingenious creation", while National Geographic listed it as one of Chicago’s most iconic dishes.[7][8]