tostones

Where does the word "tostones" come from? It comes from Spanish tostar, passing through Caribbean Spanish before entering English (1900s).

Tostones’s story begins in Spanish: tostar meant “to toast.” The root of 'toast'. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Caribbean Spanish as tostones. Settled in the Caribbean for twice-fried, flattened green plantain slices. It reached English by 1900s as tostones. Eaten across Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Today, tostones means twice-fried, flattened slices of green plantain, common in Caribbean and Latin American cuisine.

1. Stage 1 · Spanish · medieval tostar "to toast", the root of 'toast'.
2. Stage 2 · Caribbean Spanish · 1800s tostones "twice-fried plantain slices", settled in the Caribbean for twice-fried, flattened green plantain slices.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s tostones "twice-fried, flattened green plantain slices", eaten across Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.