Produce
Banana leaves
Hojas de plátano
Also called banana leaf, hoja de plátano, daun pisang, dahon ng saging
The large, glossy leaves of the banana plant, used across the tropics as a wrapper and a plate. They are not eaten, but they keep food moist while it steams or roasts and lend it a faint green, tea-like flavour.
Origin
South and South-east Asia, where bananas were domesticated, and then every tropical region they reached: Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, West Africa, India and the Pacific. Outside the tropics they are sold frozen in folded packs.
Flavour
Grassy and lightly smoky once heated, a little like green tea. It seeps into whatever is wrapped inside.
How to use it
Wipe the leaf clean and cut out the thick central rib. Pass it briefly over a gas flame or dip it in hot water until it turns glossy and pliable; cold leaves crack when folded. Lay the shiny side against the food and fold into a parcel, or use it to line a pot.
Storage
Fresh leaves keep about a week rolled in a bag in the fridge. Frozen packs keep for months. Thaw at room temperature and refreeze what you do not use.
Recipes using it
Cochinita pibil
Pork shoulder marinated in achiote and citrus, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked until it falls apart. Served with habanero-pickled red onions.
MediumMedium heat
Beef barbacoa
Barbacoa de res
Beef cheek or chuck coated in a guajillo, ancho and chipotle adobo, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked until it shreds. Tacos with onion, coriander and the cooking juices.
MediumMedium heat
Bibingka
Rice-flour and coconut-milk cake baked in banana-leaf-lined tins, topped with salted egg and white cheese, brushed with butter. The Christmas cake of Simbang Gabi.
Easy
