12 banana leaf recipes

Grilled whole fish wrapped in banana leaf with a garlic, ginger, coriander root, and peppercorn paste. Served with a fresh chile lime sauce for a traditional Asian grilled seafood dish.

Otak otak: Southeast Asian fish mousse with a lemongrass-galangal-chili spice paste and coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. Each packet holds a shrimp inside a fragrant, spiced fish paste.

Oven kalua turkey: a Hawaiian-style shredded turkey wrapped in ti and banana leaves with Hawaiian salt and liquid smoke. All the imu pit flavor, no backyard hole required.

Whole fish wrapped in a banana leaf with garlic, tomato, cilantro, and achiote, then roasted on a comal or dry skillet. A traditional Central American pachay recipe that's simple and full of smoky, earthy flavor.

Sole fillets topped with a vibrant sauce of fresh ginger, lemon juice, fried garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and soy sauce, steamed in banana leaf or foil packets. A bright, aromatic Asian-style fish dish.

Authentic Yucatán cochinita pibil with achiote-marinated pork, banana leaf wrap and habanero orange salsa. Traditional Mayan pit-style slow-roasted pork for tacos.

Mixed fruit salad with apples, bananas, pineapple, and raisins in a light lemon-mayo dressing. A low-calorie, diabetic-friendly side dish with a celery crunch.

Whole red snapper stuffed with a savory bread, celery, and tomato filling, basted with a tangy lemon-Worcestershire sauce spiked with hot sauce. Gulf Coast flavor at its finest.

Chicken thighs poached with cumin and oregano, rubbed with spice paste, then pan-fried until crisp. Served in a tangy onion broth with banana peppers and apple cider vinegar.

Southern-style no-bean chili with 4 lbs of beef, banana peppers, and a 3-hour simmer in beef stock with barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and a deep spice blend. Bold and beanless.

Banana and bacon sandwich layers crushed banana, crisp bacon bits, and minced apple between buttered bread with a lettuce leaf. A retro Southern lunch ready in 5 minutes flat.

Pollo pibil: chicken quarters rubbed with Yucatan recado colorado, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow-baked until the meat falls apart. A Mayan pit-roasting tradition adapted for the home oven.