What is a Banana Leaf?
Banana leaves are the leaves of the banana bush, a tropical plant in the genus Musa. The leaves are used in cooking and also decoratively in many tropical and subtropical cultures, because they are readily available. In areas outside the tropics, banana leaves can sometimes be found frozen in Asian and Latin American grocery stores, and they are also available dried. Some florists will also order fresh banana leaves, but they tend to be expensive.
