Banana Leaves as Tea
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Banana Leaves as Tea
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Like coconuts, bananas grow in abundance here in the Philippines as it is a tropical country. For the many years of study, cultivation and propagation, research and development, we have become as one of the exporters of bananas to the world, especially to the United States and Europe – when speaking of the banana fruit, of course. The fruit itself is eaten as a dessert, baked into cakes, deep-fried into fritters, made into chips, pancakes, name it. We even have it in our “pochero” and other dishes with soups. Aside from its fruit, the ‘heart’ is cooked into soups and curries, we also knew of the trunk (also called pseudo-trunk) that it’s made as feeds for livestock, and together with the pseudo-stem, even processed into fiber to make cloth, even to the finest - as in making tea bags!
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But let us consider the leaves. Banana leaves are fascinating and generally underappreciated. Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. They are often used as ecologically friendly disposable food containers or as "plates" in South Asia and several Southeast Asian countries. In this research, banana leaves are used as a decorative element for auspicious ceremonies in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. They are considered nature’s perfect cooking vessel… abundant, biodegradable, versatile, good-looking, economical, etc. Banana leaves are also used for lining cooking pits and for wrapping food for cooking or storage. Across several tropical countries, banana leaves are used as liners for cakes and baked goods, wrappers of sausages, rice cakes, fish and many other dishes. The leaves not only enrobe the food but they impart a subtle flavor, aroma and color as well. Often used in conjunction with dishes
Banana Leaves as Tea
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-------------------------------------------------
Like coconuts, bananas grow in abundance here in the Philippines as it is a tropical country. For the many years of study, cultivation and propagation, research and development, we have become as one of the exporters of bananas to the world, especially to the United States and Europe – when speaking of the banana fruit, of course. The fruit itself is eaten as a dessert, baked into cakes, deep-fried into fritters, made into chips, pancakes, name it. We even have it in our “pochero” and other dishes with soups. Aside from its fruit, the ‘heart’ is cooked into soups and curries, we also knew of the trunk (also called pseudo-trunk) that it’s made as feeds for livestock, and together with the pseudo-stem, even processed into fiber to make cloth, even to the finest - as in making tea bags!
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But let us consider the leaves. Banana leaves are fascinating and generally underappreciated. Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. They are often used as ecologically friendly disposable food containers or as "plates" in South Asia and several Southeast Asian countries. In this research, banana leaves are used as a decorative element for auspicious ceremonies in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. They are considered nature’s perfect cooking vessel… abundant, biodegradable, versatile, good-looking, economical, etc. Banana leaves are also used for lining cooking pits and for wrapping food for cooking or storage. Across several tropical countries, banana leaves are used as liners for cakes and baked goods, wrappers of sausages, rice cakes, fish and many other dishes. The leaves not only enrobe the food but they impart a subtle flavor, aroma and color as well. Often used in conjunction with dishes
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_leaf ------------------------------------------------- http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/banana.html ------------------------------------------------- http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/banana_leaves ------------------------------------------------- www.wikipedia.org