Banana leaf
The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrapping, and food-serving in a wide range of cuisines in tropical and subtropical areas. They are used for decorative and symbolic purposes in numerous Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies. In traditional home building in tropical areas, roofs and fences are made with dry banana-leaf thatch. Bananas and palm leaves were historically the primary writing surfaces in many nations of South and Southeast Asia.
Applications in cuisine
Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. They impart an aroma to food that is cooked in or served on them; steaming with banana leaves imparts a subtle sweet flavor and aroma to the dish. The leaves are not themselves eaten and are discarded after the contents are consumed.Besides adding flavor, the leaves keep juices in and protect food from burning, much as foil does. In Tamil Nadu leaves are fully dried and used as packing material for foodstuffs, and are also made into cups to hold liquids. The dried leaves are called vāḻaic caruku in Tamil. Some South Indian, Filipino, and Khmer recipes use banana leaves as a wrapper for frying. The leaves are later removed. In Vietnamese cuisine, banana leaves are used to wrap foods such as cha-lua.
By region
Austronesia
In Indonesian cuisine
In Indonesian cuisine, banana leaf is employed in cooking methods called pepes and botok; the banana-leaf packets of food are steamed, boiled, or grilled on charcoal. Banana leaves are also used to wrap several kinds of snacks kue, such as nagasari or kue pisang and otak-otak, and also to wrap pressed sticky-rice delicacies such as lemper and lontong.In Java, banana leaf is also used as a shallow conical bowl called "pincuk", usually to serve rujak tumbuk, pecel or satay. The pincuk is secured with lidi semat. The pincuk fit in the left palm, while the right hand is used to consume the food. It also functions as a traditional disposable take-away food container. The cleaned banana leaf is often used as a placemat; cut banana-leaf sheets placed on rattan, bamboo or clay plates are used to serve food. Decorated and folded banana leaves on woven bamboo plates are used as serving trays, tumpeng rice cones, and holders for jajan pasar or kue delicacies.
In Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine
In Malaysian and Singapore cuisine, banana leaves are used to wrap certain kuih and otak-otak. Malay foods such as nasi lemak are also commonly wrapped with banana leaves before being wrapped with newspaper, as banana leaves add fragrance to the rice.In Philippine cuisine
Banana leaves are the traditional method of serving food in Philippine cuisine, with rice and other dishes laid out on large banana leaves and everyone partaking using their bare hands. Additionally, another traditional method of serving food is by placing it on a banana-leaf liner placed over a woven bilao. The bilao is normally a farm implement used for removing chaff from grains, although there are now smaller woven trays or carved wooden plates of the same kind in Filipino restaurants used specifically for serving food. Banana leaves are also commonly used in wrapping food, and are valued for the aroma they impart to the food. Specific Philippine dishes that use banana leaves include suman and bibingka.In Polynesian cuisine
The Hawaiian imu is often lined with banana leaves.South Asia
and Bengali cuisine is traditionally served on a banana leaf, especially in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal and also in Sri Lanka. In these regions, it is customary to serve food on a banana leaf during festive occasions, and banana is often a part of the food served. In Maharashtra, on special occasions like Ganesh chaturthi, people eat off banana leaves. The banana leaf is also used for wrapping fish, which can then be steamed.In Bengali cuisine
In Bengali cuisine, banana leaf is used to prepare Paturi, which is marinated and seasoned boneless fresh fish steamed and cooked inside a banana leaf and eaten on it. Commonly, Bhetki and Ilish are used in making Paturi. Bengali cuisine also have a great significance and sacred believe for having meal on a banana leaf.In Kerala cuisine
In kerala cuisine, banana leaf is used to prepare ila ada, or vazha ila ada, a kind of steamed dumpling filled with coconut sweetened using jaggery or sugar. Another popular dish is meen vazha ilayil pollichathu or just meen pollichathu, Literally meaning fish grilled inside banana leaf. This is made by wrapping fish in a banana leaf with curry like base. A key need for banana leaf in grilling is to provide a non sticky layer, which will avoid the fish from burning and sticking to the grill, griddle or embers due to direct contact. The leaf also imparts a smell and flavour to the fish. Similar trend is found in packed meals called "pothichoru", which literally means packed rice. Banana leaf is lightly heated under the flame to turn it flexible and then rice, curries and stir fries are poured in, folded and tied using a thread. This is similar to the srilankan dish lamprais whose name inturn originates from the Indonesian dish lemper brought in by Dutch colonists.In Indian cuisine
In India, white rice is served on a banana leaf with an assortment of vegetables, pickles, appalam and other regional condiments. The banana leaf acts as a disposable plate and it in itself is not consumed. The choice of banana leaves is mainly due to the broad leaves as well as to the ubiquity of the plant in South India. Typically, only vegetarian gravy will be served on the rice as it is meant to be a traditional vegetarian dish. However, sometimes boiled eggs, curried or fried meat or seafood are served as well. Traditionally, there will be two servings of rice with the first being served with gravy, side dishes and condiments whilst the second serving will be just rice with curd as a palate cleanser. Banana leaf meals are eaten by hand. Traditionally, only the right hand is used, and only the tips of the fingers should touch the food. Any part of the finger beyond the first knuckle or the palm must not touch the food. Parts of the Banana leaf meal etiquette also dictates that, after the meal, the guest must always fold the banana leaf inwards as a sign of gratitude to the host, even when the host is the proprietor of an eatery. However, when meals are served at funeral wakes, the leaf is folded outwards as a sign of condolence to the family of the deceased. Due to this, folding the leaf outwards is considered rude in any other circumstance.Latin America
In Caribbean and Mexican cuisine
Guanimos are Dominican tamales made with cornmeal, stuffed with ground meat and wrapped with banana leaves.In Puerto Rico, pasteles are made primarily with fresh green banana dough stuffed with pork, and then wrapped in banana leaves which have been softened at the fire. Many rice dishes in Puerto Rico are cooked with banana leaves as a lid to add flavor and aroma. Fish and pork shoulder can be wrapped in plantain leaves and baked. Guanimes known as Puerto Rican tamales, cornmeal cooked with coconut milk and other ingredients, are wrapped in banana leaves. Sweet cassava tortillas and Puerto Rican arepas are laid on banana leaves for a few hours before cooking.
In Jamaica, Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, French Guiana and some other islands in the Lesser Antilles, there is a dessert called duckunoo or duckanoo, also referred to as tie-a-leaf or blue drawers , dokonon, doukunou, paime, penmi and ducunu or tamalito. It is similar to tamal dulce, and is typically made with batata or sweet potato, coconut, cornmeal, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and anise, brown sugar, coconut milk and vanilla. Sometimes, pumpkin, plantain and raisins are used. The mixture is tied up in a banana leaf, and then cooked in boiling water. The more savoury version, pastelles, is made in Trinidad and Tobago. Also, banana leaves are used in other ways in Jamaican cuisine, like for steaming fish and cooking ackee.
Mexican, and more specifically Oaxacan tamales and a local variety of lamb or barbacoa tacos are often steamed in banana leaves. Banana leaves are used for wrapping pork in the traditional Yucatán dish Cochinita pibil.
In Central American cuisine
' is a traditional Nicaraguan dish. It consists of a cabbage salad known as curtido, boiled yuca, and chicharrones, wrapped in Banana leaf. Variations of this dish are also found in Costa Rica.Vaho is a mix of meat, green plantains and yuca cooked in banana leaves.
Tamales made throughout Central America are traditionally wrapped in banana leaves prior to cooking, which imparts a distinctive taste to the nixtamalized corn dough.
Nacatamal is made up mostly of nixtamalized corn masa and lard, but also includes seasonings such as salt and achiote. Filling consists of seasoned pork meat, rice, a slice of potato, bell pepper, tomato, onion, olives, cilantro and/or spearmint sprigs, and on occasion, though less commonly, capers, raisins or fresh chile, all wrapped in banana leaves. This dish is traditional to Nicaragua.