What some cultures use bananas leafs for

So I found all this information about banana leaves and their uses in Southeast Asia that are way more than just looks and styling at a food festivals. They are used to wrap up rice, steam fish in, fold into beautiful little packets that you don't want to even open them. The leaf traps heat, gives this lush aroma and good part is it's packaging that returns back to the earth unlike all these lazy pieces of plastic you see in a gutter that's just ruining the environment.

In some countries, people line their trays with them. In some, it simply becomes the plate itself. You eat and fold it up and that's it you're done.

Banana trees used to grow behind my friend's house and I would always see the big green floppy leaves flapping around like a huge fan. We never did much with the leaves except to clear away flies that start moving during power outages, there's no fan to blow them so we used it. I still have a faint wound on my left thumb that reminds me of trying to draw one in biology when I was in junior high and I got the veins all mixed up.

It's really good to use what's available around you. I'm not trying to preach eco friendly sustainable practices in this blog but it really is an important thing.

Using what's right there has shown me that I have completely lost the connection with the land that fed me without even expecting any thank you's in return. Maybe because the land and mother nature knows we're but dust and soon will return.

I'm tempted to see if I could steam some plantains in a banana leaf if I can find someone at the market that won't stare at me. I'm sure I might mistakenly fold it incorrectly wrongly. There's a first time for everything so with time I could get used to this