From Latin American countries like Mexico to those in Asia – among them, the Philippines – the art of cooking and preparing food using banana leaves has been around for ages.

In fact, where bananas grow, you’d find people using the giant leaves for their meal – steamed fish, tamales and sticky rice or suman among others.

Why? These fresh green leaves give off an aromatic scent and a bit of a sweetness to the flavor of the dish.

Old timers in the Philippines will also tell you that wrapping food in banana leaves was a way for farmers to bring their lunch with them when they go to the field as lunch boxes were not around yet back in the day.

‘Binalot’ means to “wrap in,” and when one says ‘Binalot’ banana leaves always come to mind.

Fast forward to now and you have Kusina Natin ‘to  located in Shop 4, Oasis Building, Al Badaa St., Al Satwa, Dubai, which includes a whole range of bestselling ‘Binalot’ meals in their extensive menu of traditional Filipino dishes.

And so the choices include anything from beef or chicken sisig and beef tapa to Bicol Express, Chicken Adobo, Chicken Inasal and daing na bangus.

Craving ‘Binalot’?