This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

Prasadam offered on Banana leaves after Puja ceremony at a home in Guntur, India

Banana leaf is the leaf of the Banana plant. It is used for various functions, such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method.

It is used as a decorative element for special ceremonies in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. It is also used as a plate to serve food in countries like India and Philippines. Banana leaves, though commonly thrown away, contain large amounts of polyphenols, including EGCG, similar to green tea. They also contain polyphenol oxidase, that could be used to produce L-DOPA, a treatment for Parkinson's disease.^[1]

Cuisine[link]

Lunch from Karnataka, India served on a Banana leaf

Carp pepes, carp fish with spices cooked in banana leaf

Chicken satay served in pincuk (banana leaf plate)

South Indian food and Filipino food(introduced to the Philippines by Hindu merchants) is usually served on a banana leaf. Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. Especially in the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala in every occasion the food must be served in a banana leaf and as a part of the food a banana is served. ^[2]

The Banana leaf is also used to add aroma to the food. Steamed with dishes they impart a subtle sweet flavor. They often serve as a wrapping for grilling food. The leaves contain the juices, protect food from burning and add a subtle flavor.^[3] In Tamil Nadu (India) leaves are fully dried and used as packing material for food stuffs and also making cups to hold liquid foods. The dried leaves are called 'Vaazhai-ch- charugu' (வாழைச் சருகு) in Tamil. Some South Indian, Filipino and Khmer recipes use banana leaves as a wrapper for frying. The leaves are later removed to retain flavor. In Vietnamese cuisine, banana leaves are used to wrap foods such as cha-lua.

In Indonesian cuisine, banana leaf is employed in cooking method called pepes and botok; the banana leaf packages containing food ingredients and spices are cooked on steam, in boiled water or grilled on charcoal. Banana leaf also used to wrap several kinds of kue (delicacies), such as kue pisang, also to wrap sticky pressed rice delicacies such as lemper and lontong. Banana leaf is also used as a coned plate called "pincuk", usually to serve rujak tumbuk, pecel or satay. The cleaned banana leaf is often used as a plate mat; cutted banana leaf sheet placed upon rattan, bamboo or clay plates to serve food upon it.

In Malaysia and Singapore, banana leaves are used to wrap certain kuih. Malay food 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 Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, banana leaves and parchment paper form the wrapper for pasteles (similar to tamales). Ground green bananas stuffed with meat are packed inside and then boiled with the banana leaf imparting extra flavor and aroma.

Mexican, and more specifically Oaxacan tamales and a local variety of lamb meat, or barbacoa tacos are often steamed in banana leaves. Banana leaves are used for wrapping pork in the traditional Yucatán dish Cochinita pibil. The Hawaiian imu is often lined with banana leaves.

Religion[link]

Banana leaves are predominantly used by Hindus and Buddhists as a decorative element for special functions, marriages, and ceremonies in Tamil Nadu, India and Southeast Asia. Balinese Hindu prepared banana leaf as the container for floral offerings dedicated for hyang (spirits or deities) and gods. These floral offerings were placed in various places around the house.

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Banana leaf

• Banana leaf rice
• Strelitzia, a bird of paradise plant with similarly shaped leaves.
• Cochinita pibil, a Yucatán Mexican dish that wraps pork in banana leaves.
• Puto, Bibingka, and Suman, Filipino rice cakes which are traditionally wrapped in banana leaves.

References[link]

v t e Bananas and plantains Cultivars Blue Java Cavendish Goldfinger Grand Nain Gros Michel Lady Finger Lacatan Latundan Pisang Awak Plantain Red Rhino Horn Saba Señorita Cultivar groups AA group AAA group (Cavendish group) AAA-EA subgroup (East African Highland bananas) AAAA group AAAB group AAA group (Plantain group) AABB group AB group ABB group ABBB group BB Group BBB Group Culinary usage Banana beer Banana bread Banana chips Banana cue Bananas Foster Banana fritter Banana ketchup Banana powder Banana pudding Banana sauce Banana split Banana wine Banania Bánh chuối Frozen banana Ginanggang Matoke Maruya Pisang goreng Tonto Turrón Related topics Banana paper Bananadine Banana and plantain diseases Category: Bananas

This Zingiberales-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e