General Information
The banana leaf is just that, a large leaf cut from the banana tree. It ranges from 12-20 inches wide and up to 6 feet wide. Most commonly used to wrap a whole pig for roasting. In addition, the leaves can be used in many ways for decoration. In Chinese cooking, the leaves are often wrapped around tougher cuts of meat and steamed for a long time at low heat to impart tenderness and flavor. Use even smaller portions of the leaf as wraps to make interesting finger food such as tamales or Chinese rice cakes.
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 (India) 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 ‘Vaazhai-ch- charugu’ 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.
