Eating food served on banana leaves is common in south India and other Asian cultures.
This tasty and healthy plate is especially utilised on special occasions, auspicious events and festivals.
Eating food on a banana leaf not only makes the food taste uniquely delicious, but has healthy benefits for the physical body as well as subtle qualities that purify the subtle bodies.
1. Tasty?!
Trust me and anyone who has experienced eating from a banana leaf, the food is tastier.
The reason is because there is a natural wax coating on the leaf that dissolves into hot food to add an earthy and fresh taste to the food.
Furthermore, when you eat with your hands, the feeling of the green grooves on your fingertips enhances the rich sensory experience of eating.
2. Chemical Free
No chemical residues from washing detergents, glazed ceramics or plastic plates.
Further more, the exterior wax prevents dust to stick. Simply give the leaf a quick rinse with water before serving food on it.
3. Eco-Friendly & Economical
Single use bio-degradable plates that can be turned into fertiliser.
Forget disposable utensils that cost money, and worse, cost the environment.
4. No Cleaning Up ?
No need to do the dishes!
Plus save water (and soaps) from going down the drain.
5. Anti-Oxidant Addition
The leaves are rich in polyphenol anti-oxidants.
These cancer preventing compounds that inhibit oxidation to protect from cell damage permeates the food (especially when hot) that sits on the banana leaf plate.
6. Karmically Hygienic & Pure
Different foods that may not align with your diet preferences (e.g. meat for a vegetarian) and different peoples saliva are absorbed into kitchen utensils and certainly carries peoples karma/energy on a subtle level.
This is why purists like Vaidyas (Ayurvedic doctors) and Brahmins (pure holders of Vedic knowledge) will not eat from utensils that others have used.
7. Poison Detector
Poisonous or toxic food will turn green when placed on a banana leaf.
The synergistic outcome is revealing.
This was used in traditional times to detect when someone would try poison the king via food, and can be utilised today to detect food high in chemicals such as pesticides and heavy metals.
What Plates to Use
Personally, I use a (92.5%) silver plate to eat my food in (to absorb the medicinal minerals and elements of silver). I also intend to one day obtain a golden plate to eat from.
However, I don’t think one can beat the banana leaf fresh from nature to intimately mingle with the food.
Related Article: Drop The Utensils, Rather, Eat With Your Hands!