Plantains are firmer and lower in sugar than regular bananas, and while bananas are usually eaten raw, plantains are mostly cooked. You can use green plantain to make tostones, but the riper the fruit, the sweeter the taste of this Caribbean and Latin American cuisine staple. In the case of Atol de Platano, use ripe plantains. You’ll know they are ready to use when the peel turns black. This beverage can be served at any time of day.