Wraps & Liners

Ti Leaf (La'i)

Large glossy Hawaiian leaf used to wrap and steam fish, meats, and lau lau.

A ti leaf, called la'i in Hawaiian, is a long, glossy, flexible leaf used to wrap food for steaming, baking, and imu (underground oven) cooking. It encloses lau lau, fish, and pork, sealing in moisture and imparting a subtle aroma while protecting the food from direct heat. The tough central rib is usually stripped or scored so the leaf folds and ties easily.

Ti leaf is the broad, lance-shaped foliage of the ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa), a tropical evergreen long cultivated across Polynesia and central to Hawaiian cookery. In the kitchen it is used as a wrapper and steamer liner: the leaf is never eaten itself, but it surrounds and protects the food while it cooks, holding in moisture and, over long gentle heat, lending a faint sweet-grassy aroma. A mature green leaf is one to three feet long, glossy on top, with a thick central midrib running its length.

What distinguishes ti from the more familiar banana leaf is toughness and conformity. Ti is denser, less fibrous, and does not split along its veins the way banana leaf does under prolonged wet heat, which makes it the preferred wrapper for Hawaiian lau lau, kalua pork, and anything that needs to sit in an imu or steamer for several hours. It also folds into a tighter packet, so sauces and rendered fat stay sealed inside rather than weeping through the seams. The trade-off is stiffness: a cold ti leaf will crack like cardboard, so it almost always needs to be softened with heat or hot water before it will lie flat around food.

For cooks outside the Pacific, ti leaf is best understood as a heat-tolerant, flavor-neutral cooking envelope. It will not rescue a dry piece of fish or compensate for a slack fire, but used in layers and tied well, it gives an honest grassy lift to pork, chicken, and oily fish, and it is one of the few wrappers sturdy enough to take the place of a lidded pan.

Alternatives

Banana LeafLotus LeafParchment Paper

Types & varieties

Green ti (la'i maoli)

The standard culinary type. Broad, pliable, deep-green leaves with a waxy upper surface; the workhorse of home cooking, lau lau, and imu.

Red ti (la'i 'ula'ula)

Burgundy and bronze foliage kept for ceremony, hula, and lei. Generally not used in cooking; thinner, more brittle, and can tint pale foods.

Variegated ti (la'i lau kī)

Streaked green, cream, and pink leaves grown as ornamentals. Attractive on the plate but less durable under long steaming and best reserved for short cooks or presentation.

Compact and dwarf cultivars

Short, narrow leaves sold as houseplants. Too small and thin to wrap anything substantial, and a poor choice for imu or grill work.

Preparing ti leaves for wrapping

Fresh ti leaves arrive stiff and brittle straight from the cooler, and a cold leaf will snap the moment you try to fold it. Three methods work, and any of them will do: pass each leaf briefly over a gas flame or hot burner until it softens and shines; dip it for five to ten seconds in a pot of boiling water; or lay it in the sun for ten or fifteen minutes on a warm day. Once pliable, lay the leaf waxy (upper) side up and slice the thick central midrib flat with a sharp knife, taking just enough off that the leaf lies in one plane. A leaf that still has a proud midrib will spring into a V-shape and leak juices from the seam. Wipe the softened leaf with a damp cloth to remove grit, but do not soak it; excess water trapped inside the packet dilutes the food and can make the wrapper soggy.

Softening methods: open flame, 5–10 second dip in boiling water, or sun for 10–15 minutes.
Always slice the midrib flat or the leaf will bow and leak.
Wrap with the waxy upper surface facing inward toward the food.
Wipe with a damp cloth rather than rinsing; standing water pools inside the packet.

Building a leak-proof bundle (lau lau method)

The traditional Hawaiian lau lau is the benchmark test of a ti leaf. To make one, lay two or three softened leaves in alternating directions on the counter so their seams fall in different places, place the seasoned filling (typically pork shoulder, butterfish, or chicken, often layered with taro leaf and a little salted limu) in the center, and fold the leaves up and over like an envelope. A third or fourth leaf is then wrapped crosswise to patch any small tears. Tie the parcel with strips of ti leaf that have been blanched until pliable, or with kitchen twine, securing it firmly enough that steam cannot escape but not so tightly that the leaves tear. The bundle is then steamed for several hours or buried in an imu. The layering matters: a single leaf is never trusted with liquid-rich fillings, because the first nick becomes a leak point. In a conventional oven, the same bundle can be cooked at 375 °F / 190 °C, wrapped in foil if you want to keep the outside of the ti leaf from scorching.

Layer 2–3 leaves in alternating directions so seams do not line up.
Tie with blanched ti strips, banana fiber, or twine; never plastic in an imu.
For oven work, an outer foil wrap protects the leaves from drying and scorching.
Rest the cooked bundle 5 minutes before opening so the steam redistributes.

Cultural notes for the cook

Ti carries weight in Hawaiian life well beyond the kitchen: it is used for hula adornment, house blessing, and traditional thatching, and in certain contexts the plant is kapu, or sacred. Most cooks who work with it handle the leaves with a measure of respect out of habit rather than obligation, keeping the leaves off the ground during prep, never dragging them across a dirty surface, and composting spent wrappers rather than tossing them into the trash. None of this changes the technique, but it is worth knowing if you are cooking alongside Hawaiian families or for a luau, where the leaf is treated as a piece of cultural equipment rather than a disposable liner.

Common uses

Wrapping pork, butterfish, or chicken bundles (lau lau) for imu pit-roasting or steamer cookingLining the bottom and sides of an imu, steamer basket, or roasting pan to keep food off the grate and add a faint grassy aromaWrapping individual fish or meat portions for grilling over coals, banana-leaf styleSealing and protecting food packets in a conventional oven at 375 °F / 190 °C, with an outer foil wrap if moisture loss is a concernPlacemat-style liner for plating traditional Hawaiian or broader Polynesian meals, unwrapped at the tableSubstitute for banana leaf when a tighter, less fibrous, longer-lasting wrap is neededWrapping taro, breadfruit, or other starchy Pacific staples for steaming or imu cooking, where the leaf keeps the food from sticking to the pot and adds a faint herbal note

Tips & pitfalls

Soften the leaves before wrapping: pass them over a flame, dip them in boiling water for 5–10 seconds, or warm them in the sun. A cold leaf will crack and split.
Slice the thick central midrib flat with a knife so the leaf lies in one plane; a proud midrib forces the leaf into a V and the seam leaks.
Wrap with the glossy, waxy upper surface facing the food; the dull underside is slightly more porous and lets moisture out.
Layer 2–3 leaves in alternating directions when wrapping anything juicy (lau lau, kalua pork, whole fish); a single leaf will eventually leak at the first nick.
Wipe leaves with a damp cloth rather than rinsing; pooled water inside the packet dilutes seasoning and makes the food soggy.
Reserve red and variegated leaves for ceremony or plating only. They are thinner, more brittle, and can tint pale foods.
Tie parcels with blanched ti strips, banana fiber, or plain kitchen twine. Never use plastic ties or synthetic string in an imu or over open coals.
If leaves arrive browning at the edges, use them for short steaming or as a steamer liner. Save the unblemished, deepest-green leaves for imu and grilling, where the wrapper is part of the presentation.

Good to know

Source: Leaves of the ti plant, Cordyline fruticosa (syn. Cordyline terminalis), in the Asparagaceae family
Native range: Tropical Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific; carried eastward throughout Polynesia, including Hawai'i
Typical leaf size: 1–3 ft (30–90 cm) long, 3–5 in (8–12 cm) wide at maturity
Shape: Lance-shaped (lanceolate) with a prominent central midrib
Flavor contribution: Mild, faintly sweet, grassy-green; subtle, builds over long steaming or imu cooking
Heat tolerance: Holds up to several hours of steaming, pit-roasting, or grilling without disintegrating
Edibility: The leaf is a wrapper only; it is peeled away and not eaten
Storage (fresh): Refrigerate 1–2 weeks, wrapped in damp paper towels inside a sealed bag and misted periodically
Storage (long term): Blanched leaves freeze well for 6+ months; thaw before wrapping
Yield: One large leaf wraps a single fillet or small portion; lau lau bundles use 3–6 leaves layered together
Cultural note: Considered sacred (kapu) in Hawaiian tradition; spent leaves are traditionally composted or returned to the garden, not discarded as refuse