The choice of plantain in Cameroon by consumers is largely dependent on peculiar varieties’ characteristics. Such characteristics vary according to locality, are gender-respective and depend on their utilization.

The aim of this study was to understand users’ demand for raw and boiled plantain in rural and urban areas in the West and Littoral regions of Cameroon. Surveys with the various stakeholders of the plantain value chain, conducted in eight rural localities consisted of key informant interviews, gender-disaggregated focus group discussions, market and individual interviews. Cooking diagnoses were done with restaurant cooks in urban areas in order to understand quality characteristics of raw plantain that give a most-liked boiled plantain. Local favourite landraces, most cultivated landraces in Cameroon (Batard and Big ebanga) and a new CARBAP/CIRAD plantain-like hybrid (CARBAP K74) were tested.

The investigation enabled the identification of good plantain characteristics, necessary for breeding programmes. In addition to fruit maturity (orange pulp colour), dark green peel colour and large fruit size, other criteria such as fruit length, fruit girth, peel thickness, pulp colour, dry matter contents and pulp firmness were found to be relevant. Boiled plantain of good quality should be presentable, colour-attractive, well-cooked and soft (both on touching and in the mouth). Plantain landraces are preferred compared to the plantain-like hybrid studied.

The RTBfoods project has significantly contribute to the determination and integration of new quality traits in plantain improvement schemes. Therefore, the creation of new plantain hybrids based mostly on pulp firmness, dry matter and the above related parameters, provides an efficient means of producing high quality fruits suitable for boiled plantain.