Jibarito
A jibarito made with grilled chicken
TypeSandwich
Place of originVenezuela and Aguada, Puerto Rico and Chicago, Illinois
Main ingredientsPlantains, garlic-flavored mayonnaise, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes

The jibarito (Spanish: [xiβaˈɾito]), is a sandwich made with flattened, fried green plantains instead of bread, aioli or garlic-flavored mayonnaise, and a filling that typically includes meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato.[1][2] The original jibarito had a steak filling, and that remains the usual variety, but other ingredients, such as chicken and pork, are common.

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] after hiring a Venezuelan cook talk about a Venezuelan sandwich called a Patacon. The name is a diminutive of Jíbaro and means "little yokel".

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 eateries as well.[3]

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.[4]

Reception

The Daily Meal included the jibarito in their article "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of".[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Saga of a sandwich. Chicago Tribune, June 18, 2003.
  2. ^ a b Zeldes, Leah A. "City of the Big Sandwiches: Four Uncommon Chicago Meals on a Bun". Dining Chicago. Chicago's Restaurant Guide. Retrieved Sep 23, 2013.
  3. ^ First look at Graham Elliot's Grahamwich. Chicago Tribune, December 15, 2010: "And it was damn near impossible with the jibarito; thin-sliced fried plantains were never intended to endure such treatment."
  4. ^ "Plantano Loco". Archived from the original on 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  5. ^ Dan Myers (27 February 2015). "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
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