Mariquitas — the Crunch Heard Around the Island
Tía Cary aquí. Before there were chips in shiny bags, there was a man on a Havana corner with a barrel of oil, a green plantain, and a blade — shaving ribbons straight into the fry and selling them in paper cones, hot enough to make you juggle. The mariquita is Cuban street crunch: thinner than a potato chip, sweeter at the edges, and biologically impossible to eat in moderation.
What are mariquitas?
Green plantains — the same fruit that gives you tostones when smashed and maduros when ripe — shaved lengthwise into long ribbons and fried crisp. Call them mariquitas, chicharritas or platanitos depending on which grandmother raised you; the crunch is identical and the bowl empties at the same speed.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 2 green plantains
- Oil for frying
- Fine salt
- For the mojo: 3 cloves garlic (mashed), juice of 1 lime, 3 tbsp olive oil
Steps
- Peel the green plantains and shave them lengthwise into paper-thin ribbons with a mandoline or vegetable peeler.
- Heat oil to 365°F.
- Fry in small batches — the ribbons curl and crisp in 60-90 seconds. Don't crowd them; they need room to dance.
- Salt immediately on paper towels while glistening.
- Whisk the mojo. Dip, crunch, repeat until the bowl is empty and everyone pretends they only had a few.
Tía's rule: thin enough to read through, or start again. A thick mariquita is just a sad tostone.
The coin cut
The round-coin version — platanitos — fries the plantain in crosswise slices instead of ribbons. Sturdier for dips, and the shape you'll find in most bags. Both cuts obey the same law: hot oil, fast fry, salt immediately.
Or skip the mandoline — the bags Cuban Miami buys
The party-size bags from the brands that own this category — regular for purists, garlic for believers, lime for the vaca frita crowd.
Preguntas frecuentes
What are mariquitas?
Mariquitas are Cuban plantain chips: green plantains shaved paper-thin lengthwise and fried into long, curling golden ribbons, salted while hot. The crunchiest object in Cuban cuisine — served with garlic mojo or straight from the bag.
What's the difference between mariquitas, chicharritas and platanitos?
Mostly geography and family habit — all mean thin fried plantain chips. Mariquitas and chicharritas are the long ribbon cut; platanitos usually means the small round coins. Every Cuban family is certain their word is the correct one.
How do you keep mariquitas crispy?
Slice paper-thin (a mandoline or a steady hand), fry hot at 365°F in small batches, and salt the moment they leave the oil. Store airtight — though in most houses 'storage' is a theoretical concept.
What do you dip mariquitas in?
Mojo de ajo — garlic, lime and olive oil — is the classic. They're also the official crunchy sidekick of the Cuban sandwich and the medianoche.
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