I'm just back from a trip to Hawaii, and hot to make an oven version of kalua-style turkey. Of course, all the recipes call for Ti leaves for wrapping the whole thing up. I don't think I can easily get Ti leaves locally, though I know I can get Banana leaves. I know that you can't just substitute banana leaves because they do have a slight anise flavor–fine if you want it, but definitely not the same.
The problem is I don't know what flavor, if any, ti leaves impart to cooked items. In the case of kalua-style cooking, the leaves are used as a steam-retaining wrap in a low temperature, long cooking situation. Our hosts in Hawaii said they didn't think they have a flavor, but I'm not so sure. There was definitely a slight plant-y flavor to the turkey that I couldn't readily identify.
Does anyone know if Ti leaves have a flavor and what it might be like?
If folks think there's not any (or very little) flavor imparted, what might be a good substitute if I can't get them?
Best Answer
According to at least one Kalua recipe that I've found, you can just wrap in aluminum foil instead. That would imply, to me, that they're not used for any (significant) flavor. The recipe does use a single banana leaf for flavor, but Ti leaves for the outer wrapping. Using foil may not give you the exact same results, but it might be "close enough" for people who don't actually live in Hawaii.