Banana leaves

The Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought different kinds of bananas and plantains (trees of the Musa genus) from the Old World tropics to the tropical Americas. Here the huge leaves joined the repertory of native American leaf wrappings for foods. They are used in the most traditional of Yucatecan dishes, cochinito pibil, in which a whole suckling pig is marinated in a version of adobo yucateco, wrapped in banana leaves, and cooked in a pib, a hole in the ground. The same method is used for whole fish and chickens. The banana leaves impart a particular flavor and aroma. In the central and southern parts of Mexico they are the most commonly used wrapping for tamales. Packaged banana leaves are sold both fresh and frozen in Caribbean, Filipino, Southeast Asian, and Latin American markets. Look them over carefully and wipe off any powdery white film with a clean damp cloth.