Create allergy card
← Browse ingredients

Betel Leaf

Betel leaf is an aromatic leaf used fresh as a wrapper, garnish, or herb in South and Southeast Asian cooking.

Betel Leaf — illustrative ingredient image

About Betel Leaf

Betel leaf is the fresh, aromatic leaf of the betel vine, used as a culinary wrapping, garnish, or herb. In South and Southeast Asian cooking, fresh leaves may wrap fillings, accompany prepared foods, or be sliced into savoury mixtures and garnishes.

The leaf has a peppery, resinous, slightly bitter aroma and a firm but flexible texture. It is generally used whole or torn, rather than dried into a conventional leafy vegetable; pungency may vary with cultivar and maturity.

Betel leaves are typically heart-shaped, smooth, and glossy, and are sold as individual fresh leaves or bundles. Trimming, tearing, slicing, storage, or combining the leaf with fillings changes its appearance and texture; this identity is the leaf itself, not a prepared chew.

Ingredient type
whole food

FOLLOW IT TO THE PLATE

Where will you meet it?

Explore the dishes that use this ingredient and their country and cuisine connections.

Explore linked dishes

ON A MENU OR LABEL

Find local names and written forms to help recognise this ingredient.

See local names

Where betel leaf appears

1 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–1 of 1

Snacks

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for betel leaf

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Betel Leaf

English

Betel leaves, fresh

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Betel Leaf nutrition & diet

Betel Leaf nutritional value

Betel leaves, fresh

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the stated food form.

Calories
61kcal
Protein
6.4g
Carbs
8.6g
Fat
0.1g

Reference values apply to the named food form, not every preparation, variety or brand. CoFID 2021 food code 13-807. Carbohydrate follows the dataset’s available-carbohydrate convention. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/.

Portions & preparation

Establish the botanical identity and intended edible portion before using a reference, because betel leaf may be presented as a fresh wrapper, garnish, herb, or cooked ingredient. Record whether it is raw, wilted, cooked, preserved, or combined with fillings; the surrounding preparation may contribute most of the food mass.

Compare the right form: Reference identified fresh betel leaves, specifying whole edible leaf versus trimmed portion and raw, wilted, cooked, or preserved wrapper form.

Diet considerations

Betel leaf is plant-derived when used alone. Compatibility changes substantially when it is wrapped around areca nut, tobacco, sweeteners, coconut, dairy, fish, meat, or other fillings. Commercial preparations can contain coatings or flavorings, so assess the exact assembled product rather than assuming the leaf represents it.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically compatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically compatible
The plain form fits the conventional paleo food groups. Added ingredients and individual interpretations can differ.
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: UK Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), 2021 — Betel leaves, fresh ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .