As a broke college student at New York University, Rachel Laryea recalls eating plantains “all of the time.”
They were not only delicious and a reminder of home, they were cheap eats — four for a dollar, in some neighborhoods — and incredibly versatile. As Laryea started the business, bringing her products to festivals and pop-ups, she was also pursuing a dual master’s and then dual Ph.D. from Yale University, in African-American Studies and Anthropology. She opted not to move to New Haven, instead staying in Brooklyn and commuting to campus. With a lot of schoolwork but a flexible schedule, she used Kelewele as a creative outlet.
These days she sells her plantain-based baked goods at two New York City cafes, Ginjan Cafe and Brooklyn Tea, and at catered events. She offers e-commerce, shipping baked cookies and brownies and her gluten-free brownie mix nationwide. She also sells plantain apparel on her website, and has a recipe book, “A Plantain Love Story,” on offer on Amazon.
Laryea’s revenue dropped in 2022 as she switched gears to develop a plantain ice cream to bring to market, and she hopes to launch her first three flavors: vanilla ginger, liquid gold turmeric, and moringa chocolate chip. “Plantains are still very affordable, and that’s the primary ingredient when it comes to our cost of goods,” she said.