Chef Ruqxana Vasanwala holds a banana leaf that's almost as tall as herself.

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There was the eco-tastic choice of materials for the Model S, like the compressed banana leaf veneer for your door and dashboard.

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But the whole branzino, roasted with tomato and turmeric in a banana leaf, was as succulent as silken tofu, and perfect wrapped in warm moo-shu pancakes.

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KaoSarn, a family-run Thai restaurant, is consistently packed with diners who come hungry for its sweet red prawn curry and spiced roast chicken served with sticky rice steamed in a banana leaf.

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Wow, oh wow - our heads are blown off by pheasant with green peppercorns, river fish in banana leaf with red curry and some remarkable relishes: rose apple with cashew, cured pork with coconut cream.

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Pick up some milky sweets or eat a nice, hot curry off a banana leaf, and see some stunning examples of Tamil temple architecture at the Sri Mariamman Temple, whose four walls enclose both the holy space of worship and, to the faithful, the universe entire.

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After 20 minutes and a few Singhas, it's not hard to believe that the worldwide market for banana-leaf place mats is hugely underexploited.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Culture on Demand: Swinging Thailand