Pandan Leaves

Thai: ????? (bai dtoey)

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Pandan leaves are used for wrapping up food prior to steaming or frying, as well as giving many Thai desserts their flavor. When you see green colored desserts, likely the flavor is pandan. It’s also common to boil the leaves and use the tea as an additive to plain water. In the West, you can usually find these leaves frozen, or sometimes you can buy ‘pandan essence’ liquid in small bottles.

Storage: Pandan will last a few weeks if kept sealed in the refrigerator. Freezing it will make it lose a substantial amount of flavor.