I used the wrong owner!
For those trying this dish for the first time, the American restaurant name of this dish is misleading. You can usually find it in the menu like Grilled Beef Beef, But you really have to call it that Grilled beef in a bar Leaves or Roast beef with pepper lollipop, Or simply, Grilled beef with lollipops.
Ali Bital and Ali Batal Bar / Ali Piper La Lot are completely different in taste, and I discovered this the hard way.
Take a look at the image below. The product is marked Canceled Leaves so you think you are getting the right leaves. However, the Vietnamese translation is La Trau / Not true Leaves. It had to be a dead gift because I remember as a child the old men would chew Not true Leaves.
Vietnamese elders use beetle leaves as an arca nut wrapper (also known as beetle nut), and roasted lime (white or pink ointment). It is chewed and then spits out for a slight stimulant effect. This chew stains the teeth red and eventually black.
To get the right leaves, look Wild Betel, Piper Sarmentosum, Lolot Pepper or La Lot / Not slowly On the label.
It was an interesting and sad discovery that these leaves were wrong on my first attempt. I threw everything in the trash because the taste was overpowering and too healing for me. And no, I did not go crazy … I think.
