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NATURE & GASTRONOMY

 

 

 

  ton phluang (leaves)

 

Thailand

The broadly ovate leaves of ton phluang, a deciduous tree with the botanical name Dipterocarpus tuberculatus (fig.), have a blunt tip and a rounded or heart-shaped base, and are somewhat reminiscent to those of the teak tree (fig.). The large leaves are widely used as a wrapper for foodstuffs as well as to thatch roofs of bamboo huts and dwellings, especially in the area of Mae Hong Son, where it grows abundantly.

LIST OF THAI BOTANICAL NAMES