Pandanus leaves are often found in the yard, growing in the gutter, or deliberately cultivated. Pandanus amaryllifolius is a tropical plant in the pandanus genus, which is commonly known as pandan , and is used widely in Indonesian cooking as a flavoring. The characteristic aroma of pandan is caused by the aroma compound acetyl pyrroline. The plant is rare in the wild but is widely cultivated. It is upright, green plant with fan shaped sprays of long. narrow, blade like leaves and woody aerial roots. The plant is sterile, flowers only grow very rarely, and is propagated cuttings.
The leaves are used either fresh or dried and are commercially available in frozen. They have nutty, botanical fragrance which enhances the flavor of Javanese, sundanese, sumatran food, etc,
especially rice dishes and cakes. The leaves are sometimes steeped in coconut milk, which is than added to the dish. They may be tied in a bunce and cooked with the food. They may be woven into a basket which is used as a pot for cooking rice.
