Going bananas
Banana leaf bio wrappers best substitute for polythene lunch sheets File photo The polythene ban will come into effect from September 1. While little can be done about the woes of polythene manufacturers and recyclers, a new banana leaf bio wrapper, introduced by Senior Lecturer of Weligaththa Rural Technical Institute, Hambantota, Dr. Sujatha Weerasinghe, may just save you a lot of lunch related trouble. Weerasinghe spoke to The Nation on how to use banana leaves as a potential substitute for lunch sheets. Banana leaves have been used by Sri Lankans for many years to wrap food. Food wrapped in banana leaf is infused with an appetizing aroma and an earthy, leafy taste that is the signature of the banana leaf. Unfortunately, the raw banana leaf is rigid around the stem and tends to tear. Besides, not many have a steady supply of banana leaves. But this new method extends the shelf life of banana leaf wrappers by many weeks if properly prepared and stored at low temperature. The treated...