Nature has had millions of years to come up with perfect natural packaging solutions — brilliant designs made from elements as simple as water, sun and nutrients that keep liquids wet, protect cargo during transportation, and prevent mold or insects from getting in. The purpose of our Packaging the Future series is to highlight how we can use nature’s examples to make low-impact designs for better packaging, and so far I’ve focused more on the pipe-dream than the practical. This week is different; banana leaves are a packaging solution that has existed for thousands of years, still exists today, and that could benefit the environment by simply expanding their use to new areas.
Photo by Christopher Sessums
Traditionally, the leaves of the banana tree are used most often as (quite dynamic and attractive) serving vessels for everyday meals in South Indian and Filipino cuisine. Hindus and Buddhists both use the leaves for religious ceremonies and offerings, and the fully biodegradable and bright green leaves are used as trays of sorts. But that’s not all!
Banana leaves are said to impart a special flavor to foods and can even be used to steam food, especially cha lua, a Vietnamese sausage. Banana leaf rice is a dish unto itself in South Indian cooking, and it’s usually served with a vegetarian curry.
Lead photo by Madhawa Habarakada
I’ve been wanting to use banana leaves for packaging and promotional materials for years but have never been able to find a source to purchase from. My quantities would not be large (100-300) Do you know of any?
Thanks
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great article.
And thank for using my photo.
hahaha
in java, banana leaves are usual to bbe the traditional food package. we always do that.
And exactly how many thousand miles do banana leaves have to travel to be used for packaging outside of the tropics?
As recently as 10 years ago, banana leaves were everywhere in my home state of Kerala. If you went to a ceremony, food was served on it. Recently i’ve noticed more and more people using paper leaves that have been dyed and shaped to look like banana leaves. While i understand that banana plantations have a hard time keeping up with population demands, it is almost unfathomable how a paper could replicate that gentle aroma when hot rice hits the dewy leaf. Not to mention, the dyes…do we really need to ingest those things? Moving toward traditionalist practices is all good, but increasingly pleasure like these seem so unsustainable that only a fraction of the population can afford to indulge and by fraction, i specifically note tourists. It is saddening that something as simple as a banana leaf is now a rare emblem of heritage.
The tradition of folding a banana leaf towards you to signify that a meal was good is really interesting. What kind of person would fold it away from them – how rude!
I’m glad I live in a society that has bowls. With that being said, I’m sure rotting banana leaves would be great when I open up my new electronic device.
Plus, banana leaves smell fantastic!