ISO: ISO of info on Pandan Leaf. Does anyone know if the pandan leaf called for

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hallie-in-fla

Well-known member
in many southeast asian recipes is the same thing as the Pandanus or Screw Pine that grows down here in South Florida. I haven't been able to find Pandan Leaf in my local markets, but there are a ton of pandanus/screw pine trees in my neighborhood. Just curious if anyone had any experience with this exotic ingredient.

Thanks -

hallie

 
Hallie, I believe Pandan and Pandanus are the same thing, Here is (m)

a quote from Charmaine Solomon's Thai Cookbook:

"Pandanus or Screwpine

Thai: Bai toey
Bot : Pandanus latifolia
Fam : Pandanaceae

In Thai cooking the long, flat, fragrant green leaves are crushed and used as flavouring and colouring in sweets and sweet drinks or simmered with rice to imparrt their fragrance. The fresh leaves are also fashioned into tiny containers for sweets or wrapped around chicken before it is fried. The leaves are sold fresh, frozen or dried.

It is also possible to buy flavouring essence or paste made from pandanus leaves, the Asian equivalent of vanilla. This is most commonly labelled with iths Malaysian name, Pandan."

I'm pretty sure I've seen these leaves frozen at Asian specialty stores.

 
I checked in "Tropica", the "bible" of tropical plannts and found this

I found there are many, many varieties of Pandanus but no references to eating the leaves- just the fruit. We have it here in Hawaii too- lots of it. My guess is that you can try your local variety but take the newest, most fragile leaves- you probably know the older ones develop sharp stickers on the edge (some varieties). I know it is not poisonous because I have seen people soak and chew the leaves after drying them.

 
pandan

hi hallie,
a malasian friend of mine told me that the pandan used in malasian cooking is screwpine.

the difference in names is that pandan is malay for pandanus.

 
Hi Rick!! Glad to see you here. As you can see, I posted a lot of your...

tried and true recipes at the "Favorites" forum. We've all been missing you. Glad you're back. You'll love this place!

 
thanks dawn. it's good to be back. thank

michael in poenix for giving me just the right nudge at the right time.

 
Hey There!!! rvb haven't 'seen' you for a long while.....do you think the

screwpine we have growing in the caribbean to be edible? I looked up all this before and worked out that they seem to be the same plant but am Very loath (to say the least) to use a wrong variety, Lol!

 
hi joanie! i''m not really sure - why don't you call...

your local extention agent from the dept of agriculter. that oughtta clear it up.

BTW, i heard that the locals in malaysia call the fruit of the screwpine "tourist pineapple".

 
Lol! rvb...we don't have any agri' on the island I'm on. Not a river in.....

sight and so no agri!!!! no agri division of course either. Water is not a commodity that one uses easily here.
Thanks for replying and best wishes to you.
hugs
j

 
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