The Quindío region of Colombia is part of the so-called “coffee triangle” (Triángulo del Café), widely considered one of the best places to grow coffee beans. It is less widely considered one of the best places to grow plantains… but this doesn’t make that fact any less true! The volcanic soil, altitude, proximity to the equatorial line, and consistent climate make this region an exceptional environment for growing this banana cultivar. Trader Joe’s Sweet Plantain Chips start with plantains grown in this very region. Bunches are harvested by hand to reduce bruising. After harvest, the plantains are allowed extra time to ripen to a sweetness of 24 brix (natural sugar content level), as opposed to only 12 brix—a more typical number for other plantain growers. The profoundly sweet, ripe plantains are also exceedingly soft at this point—almost too soft to cut. Our Colombian supplier carefully peels each plantain by hand, and hand-feeds each one into a cutting machine to further protect the fruit. The sweet plantain slices then take a quick dip in hot sunflower oil, just until perfectly crisp. When your hand reaches into the bag, you’ll pull out a handful of crunchy, gluten free “chips” with a sweetness all their own (absolutely no sugar is added). While they’re a superb standalone snack, they also synergize spectacularly with all kinds of dips, but especially ones that have a bit of sweet and savory to them, like our Pineapple Salsa.