Banana Leaf Fish

Cooking in banana leaves is one of the oldest traditions in Papua New Guinea, where every village garden grows the broad green leaves that serve as plates, wraps, and cooking vessels. Fish is wrapped with lime, ginger, and a spoonful of coconut cream, then set over hot coals or into the oven, where the leaf traps the steam and perfumes the flesh with a gentle, grassy sweetness.

What makes banana leaf fish great is the theater and the flavor. Each parcel steams the fish to perfect tenderness, the seasonings meld into a fragrant sauce, and unwrapping the leaves at the table releases an aroma that makes everyone lean in. It is festive food with almost no fuss.

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