The Pantry Taste-Off: Taro Leaves, Wet Towels and Steam Paper

A pantry shelf is a strange kind of promise: it says dinner is possible, even on the nights you can't be bothered. This month we're rummaging through the odds and ends — the leafy packet, the little foil sachets, the stack of paper rounds — that quietly make a Filipino stew, a dumpling night or a messy-feast dinner work.

First impressions

Dried taro leaves look like crumpled paper and smell faintly of hay; they're the backbone of laing, the coconut-cream dish from the Bicol region. The wet towels are pure practicality — the sort of thing you grab before a crab dinner. And the steam paper is the unglamorous hero of any dim sum session.

What it tastes like

Monika Dried Taro Leaves arrive as flat, brittle, olive-brown shards. Raw, they're astringent and slightly scratchy — that's the oxalate bite, which is why they need long, slow cooking in coconut milk until they collapse into something silky and almost spinach-dark. Expect a mild, earthy, faintly nutty flavour that drinks up whatever it's simmered with. The 114g pack goes further than it looks once rehydrated.

Chinese Zodiac Wet Towels aren't food, and we won't pretend otherwise. Each foil sachet holds a damp, lightly scented cloth — the classic restaurant hand wipe. The scent is gentle and soapy rather than perfumed, and the foil keeps them from drying out. Honestly? The most useful thing on this shelf.

8.5" Dim Sum Steam Paper is a disc of perforated parchment, 21.5cm across. It has no flavour of its own — its job is to stop buns and dumplings welding themselves to the bamboo. Expect it to soften slightly with steam and release cleanly.

My favourite: the taro leaves, for the sheer transformation.

Ingredients and allergens

• Monika Dried Taro Leaves - 114g: Dried Taro Leaves
• Chinese Zodiac Wet Towels Foil Flat Pack (10 pcs): not published by the supplier
• 8.5" Dim Sum Steam Paper - 500pcs: not published by the supplier

No allergens are declared by the supplier for any of these three products. Anyone with sensitivities should treat the wet towels and steam paper as unverified.

Worth knowing

• Monika Dried Taro Leaves: 114g, £3.49, product of the Philippines. Store cool and dry, away from light.
• Chinese Zodiac Wet Towels: 10 pcs, £2.49, international. Keep sealed until use.
• Dim Sum Steam Paper: 500 pcs, £12.95, product of China. Store flat and dry.

Not published by the supplier

• Unit count for the taro leaves
• Best-before dates
• Certifications
• Cross-contact information

Before you buy

Reach for the taro leaves if you're building a slow coconut stew; grab the wet towels for hosting; stock the steam paper if dumplings are a habit. Check the allergen line if you're sensitive — nothing is declared. Serve the leaves simmered low with coconut milk and a little chilli, and let them go properly soft.