3 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:Recipe called for betal leaves. Surprisingly, not on hand!
Actually, lá lốt isn't betel leaf, but a similar looking but only distantly related plant, Piper sarmentosum. They do not taste the same - in fact, I wouldn't use betel leaves; the taste is too strong. I've never seen lá lốt outside of SE Asia, but the leaves may be available in Vietnamese markets in places with a largish Vietnamese settler community, I suppose.
Vine leaves are sometimes suggested as a substitute, and I can see that your lettuce worked, but you are not getting the fragrance of the real deal.
I'm sure yours were great, but if you ever manage to track down the leaves, you''ll appreciate the difference.
