Pepes

Pepes is an Indonesian cooking method using banana leaf as food wrappings. The banana-leaf package containing food is secured with lidi seumat (a small nail made from central rib of coconut-leaf and sew upon banana-leaf), cooked on steam, in boiled water or grilled on charcoal. This cooking technique allowed the rich spices mixture to be compressed against the main ingredients inside the individual banana leaf package while being cooked, and also add distinct aroma of cooked or burned banana leaf. Although being cooked simultaneously with food, the banana leaf is a non-edible material and its function was as the cookable organic wrapper.

Etymology

The cooking technique employing banana leaf as the wrapper is widely distributed throughout Indonesia and it is known in many names in several dialects; Pais in Sundanese, Brengkesan in Javanese, Pelasan in Javanese-Osing, Brengkes in Palembang, Palai in Minangkabau, and Payeh in Acehnese. The common name pepes was derived from Sundanese word papais; the plural form of pais in Sundanese language. Because its popularity was first contributed through the Sundanese cuisine, today pepes is often associated with Sundanese cuisine.