ratboy,

If you have access to Asian grocery stores, look for dahon ng sili (Chili pepper leaves). Not sure at this point exactly which variety of pepper this is (anyone?). If you can't find the leaves, look for small, dried (not smoked) chili peppers at Asian grocery stores in whole or "crushed" form. The seeds will likely be viable. Harvest the leaves when young one and a half to two inches long.

If you can fine the leaves still on the stalk and they are fresh enough, consider it a pepper plant cutting and try to root it.

There are online sources available, post here if you need them.

:)

The only pepper plant I can think of is the Thai chili pepper. Sili labuyo -- I think it's called in Filipino.

Violet - your knowledge on asian veggies is quite impressive. Where did you learn all these?

Ianna

Found some detailed info. Here it is.

Sili Labuyo

Scientific Name: Capsicum frutescens L.
Family: Solanaceae
Common names: Sili labuyo (Tagalog); Capsicum pepper, chili bird pepper, birdÂs eye chili (English).

Description: An annual herb or subshrub 0.5-1.5 m tall, erect much branched. Stem irregularly angular to to subterete up to 1 cm in diameter, green to brown-green with purplish spots near nodes . Leaves alternate, simple and very variable. Flowers usually borne singly, terminal. Fruit a non- pulpy berry, very variable in size, shape, color, and degree of pungency, up to 30 mm long green, yellow, cream or purplish when immature, red orange, yellow brown when mature.

Ecological distribution: New World origin, originated in South America, introduced and cultivated throughout South-East Asia. They grow at a wide range of altitudes, with rainfall between 600-1250 mm.

Parts used: Leaves, fruits.

Traditional uses: Externally  carminative and antispasmodic in colics; relief of rheumatic pain.

Used as spice in cooking.

and here's more info on siling labuyo:

info on siling labuyo from dave's garden

it could be piquin.

Hi!

Just saw your question... any kind of pepper leaves will do as we don't have any particular pepper leaves for tinola. But you can try the medium-big leafy kind (like leaves of bellpepper, thai chilli or even pepperoncini). I grow bellpeppers in my garden mainly because of the leaves for my tinola... btw, I am a filipina that's why I know... :)

I agree with bulletz64, any type of pepper will do, I like bell pepper leaves 'cause they are big. I also plant italian pepper just for that purpose and for broiling and adding it to salads. The labuyo peppers are so tiny and the frozen ones are not that great.

bulletz64,

Do you have your own recipes you can share?

Hi Violet! Sorry, I havent been to this forum since I posted that message. Yes, I have my own recipe for tinola, just pardon my instructions as this is just from memory coz I never wrote it down.

Tinola
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken, cut into 4" pcs.
1 inch ginger, crushed into pieces
1/2 pc of onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp fish sauce (can be bought in asian stores)
pepper leaves
1 sm. papaya, sliced into quarters, and each quarter sliced into 4 (or you can use chayote if papaya is not available)
2 c water (or better yet, use the water you washed your rice with, it gives better flavor)

Procedure:
1. Saute onion in hot oil for a minute, then add ginger and continue for another minute.
2. Add chicken and cook 4 mins more. Halfway through this, add fish sauce and let it simmer.
3. Put in water with the chicken and simmer until chicken is fork tender.
4. Add the papaya and let it cook just right (can be pierced with fork). Add the pepper leaves just before serving.

Not a problem. Thank you for taking the time to post the recipe. If you go over it and realize there might be an edit, feel free to come back and let us know!

Hi! Just to share, we also include:
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped, and saute with onions

It gives more flavor to the broth

Ooopps! I knew I was forgetting something.. thanks much, DesertHills for adding that. Btw, which part of the Philippines are you?

My friends from the Phillipines visit and admire all my pepper plants of all different types for leaf harvest. All types of peppers have edible leaves I am told. I have tried cooking the leaves, but I do not like the taste even after spices are added. Instead I much prefer the fruiting part of the plant!

Chervil2

Can you really use any type of pepper leaves for Tinola? Do bell pepper leaves taste the same as frutescen leaves??

In the Ilocos, we heat the oil first, then put 3 cloves of crushed garlic, fry the chicken pieces in the hot oil until they get opaque (not brown), instead of fish sauce (it's ok too but tastes flat), put a tablespoonful of bagoong munamun sauce (buy in Asian store) and 2-inches of crushed ginger. Fast fry for about a minute until the aroma is rich not fishy, and then add enough water to just cover the meat. Cook in slow fire. When the meat is tender, drop a small packet of sotanghon (vermicelli noodles) and the pepper leaves. Cook for 3 minutes more. Then yummy it down with steaming white rice!!! BTW, which pepper leaves? My general rule is, if you can eat the fruit the leaves are edible too. Some leaves may be "tough", so just pick the tender ones but not the tops, too small..

Bell pepper leaves truly edible? I have read that chili plants are the only members of solanaceae with leaves that are not toxic, aka sick-making. That obviously means no tomato leaves, no potato leaves and no eggplant leaves but "leaves" me wondering about bell pepper leaves.

The vegetables are called "peppers" and chili is sometimes called "chili pepper," but I do not know that that means bell pepper leaves are okay to eat when following the the chili-leaves-only rule.

I think an earlier contributor was saying that she grows and eats them, but did I misinterpret that? A few minutes of web searching leaves me inclined to avoid them. (P.S. Now I am finding various writings saying that tomato leaves are not poisonous after all. Is nothing sacred? https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/dining/29curi.html )