What is "Maduros" in the novel, With the Fire on High?

Maduros is a fried plantain dish that Emoni makes after she loses her virginity. The plantain begins with sweetness but is cooked until the sugar turns bitter. She eats them and then feels sick, and every time she makes them someone ends up in tears. Maduros represents Emoni's loss of innocence and how she thought Tyrone was sweet, but she was left bitter from her experience with him.