Guineo

Guineos (pronounced ghee-nay-oss) usually refers to an unripened banana. The term guineo is sometimes used in reference to its ripened counterpart: the yellow (ripened) banana. Etymology of the word Guineo comes from Guinea, a country in the west of Africa, as it is one of the places from which bananas originate. Some make a distinction between the two and refer to green bananas as guineos verdes (green bananas) and yellow bananas as guineos (ripe bananas).

Guineos are not to be confused with plantains, which are far starchier than the guineo and cannot be used in the same ways.

Guineos are used widely in Latin American cooking as they are versatile, inexpensive, and filling.

Dominican Republic

Plantains are more widely used in the Dominican Republic than green bananas. There aren't many uses for green bananas and most dishes have been adapted. As in the Haitian labouyi Bannann, a green banana porridge, and the Puerto Rican dishes mofongo, alcapurria, and pasteles along with other dishes from the neighboring island. Green bananas are also commonly used in sancocho, mondongo and other soups.