Using the banana leaf, mandarai leaf ( Bauhinia variegata ) and panai olai (palm leaves) to pack food were once traditional in South India. The pandemic, which prompted a surge in the use of plastics, reiterated the need for sustainable packaging alternatives. Palm leaves, as restaurants and cloud kitchens launched in the past year have found, are a practical option. Palm leaves are available in abundance in the region in and around Tiruchendur, but it is during the summer months that craftspersons collect, clean and sun dry the leaves for making various products throughout the year, shares Jariya Aziz, who runs a crafts collective Abati, at Kayalpattinam. “In this region, palm leaves are commonly used to store snacks and food items such as idiyappam