I posted this on the Carolina Gardening forum but some one suggested I might get more information here.
We have a large Hispanic population in Saluda. This morning there was a knock on my door. There stood a man and a tiny child. Through gestures and very broken English he asked if he could have some plants. I finally understood that he wanted canna. I thought he wanted the plant, so I handed him a shovel. He said no and gestured that he wanted to break off a leaf. I nodded okay and he proceeded to gather an armful of canna leaves. I asked what he was going to do with them and finally understood he was planning to use them as food wraps--he kept saying tamale.
Has anyone heard of such a thing? I hate to think they are going to get sick off my leaves! I goggled "eating canna leaves" and did find a reference to the fact the the root can be eaten. Learn something new everyday!
Eating Canna leaves ?
Yes, they don't usually eat the leaves but many people cook with them. I have not heard of using canna leaves so much as banana leaves but he might have seen your cannas and figured they were close enough ha ha. Many times they will wrap rice and such up in a tight packet made out of the leaves and cook/steam the food right in the leaf pouch. I have had rice this way and it was amazing.