Wild Pepper Leaf or Betel Leaf

A distant relative to peppercorns, this broad, glossy, heart-shaped leaf has a peppery bite with a prized astringency. The leaves are very flexible and are used to wrap foods, especially various miang (snacks) in Thailand. These large leaves are also stuffed with ground beef and lemongrass for a grilled dish popular in Vietnam: Bo Nướng Lá lốt. This same plant also produces a fruit that is often called a “long pepper,” an elongated, cone-shaped pepper. It is sometimes marketed as “Balinese long pepper” and is used to season some soups and fried dishes. Do not confuse this leaf with the similarly shaped but much thicker and more bitter Betel leaf that is chewed as a digestif with slaked lime and betel nuts. Thai: Bai phluu; Vietnamese: lá lốt; Tamil: bulath