How well do you know your Vietnamese herbs?

Let's explore the herb-y additions you may stumble across southeast Asian cooking and eating!

Vietnamese cooking is renowned for its use of fresh herbs. Look for them in your local Vietnamese or Asian market, as there is really no substitute for their unique flavour and aroma. To keep the herbs fresh, wrap the herbs in a damp cloth and keep refrigerated.

Here is a list of essential herbs with descriptions and their medicinal qualities. 

Sawtooth herb/sawtooth coriander

Vietnamese: Ngò Gai

Tasting notes: Strong coriander flavour

Culinary uses: Eaten raw - used in soups and salads

Medicinal: Used in tea to stimulate appetite, soothes stomach pain, improves digestion

Rice paddy herb

Vietnamese: Ngò Om 

Tasting notes: Citrus with mild cumin flavour

Culinary uses: Sour soups, salads, compliments dishes containing cumin.

Medicinal: Antibacterial qualities

Combining mustard greens, sawtooth coriander and rice paddy herb, here's about a bowl of purple rice noodles with corn-wine soup.

 

Spearmint herb/green mint 

Vietnamese: Húng Lui, Húng Dũi  

Tasting notes: Spearmint and lime character

Culinary uses: Eaten raw. Found in most common herb and salad plates

Medicinal: Used in tea as treatment for stomach ache, colds and flu and promotes digestion

Perilla/shiso leaf

Vietnamese: Tía Tô   

Tasting notes: Earthy, bold and musky – a mint/basil combination

Culinary uses: Eaten raw in a variety of soups, salads and meat dishes

Medicinal uses: Used in tea for soothing properties and in steam baths for better skin

Source: SBS Food

Vietnamese balm/Vietnamese lemon mint 

Vietnamese: Kinh Gioi  

Tasting notes: Basil with hints of lemon citrus and lemongrass

Culinary uses: Eaten raw in a variety of soups and meat dishes and on herb plates

Medicinal: Used in tea for soothing properties and in steam baths for better skin   

Vietnamese mint

Vietnamese: Rau Răm  

Tasting notes: Spicy and peppery

Culinary uses: Commonly eaten raw in salads, in duck-related dishes and on most common herb plates  

Medicinal: Used to treat indigestion, stomach aches, ulcers, wounds and swelling. Believed to have the ability to reduce fertility

Perilla, mint as well as Vietnamese mint come together in these pork and king prawn lettuce wraps. Get the recipe right here.

Bitter herb

Vietnamese name: Rau Dang

Common culinary name: Bitter mint

Tasting Notes: Bitter character

Culinary uses: Add raw to hot pot dishes or steamboats and noodle soups

Medicinal uses: Treat fever, joint pains, & inflammations

Garlic chives/Chinese chives

Vietnamese: He

Tasting notes: Garlicky and grassy

Culinary uses: Rice paper rolls, stir fries, raw in noodle soups

Medicinal: Antiseptic, aids digestion and helps promote the flow of blood

Asian basil 

Vietnamese: Rau Que, Húng Que 

Tasting notes: sweet / spice, anise / licorice

Culinary uses: Eaten raw. Smelling this basil is to be reminded of a piping hot bowl of pho noodle soup and in many common herb plates

Medicinal: Antibacterial qualities, leaves are crushed to a paste to treat small cuts

Source: SBS Food

Fish herb/fish mint 

Vietnamese: Diep Cá

Tasting notes: Strong acquired taste for its fishy character

Culinary uses: Used in bold fishy flavored dishes, very popular in dishes of grilled meats, fish and noodle soups. 

Medicinal: Treats stomach aches, indigestion and swellings. Leaves are crushed to a paste to cure insect bites, rashes and itching

Water spinach/moring glory 

Vietnamese: Rau Muong

Culinary uses: As a vegetable, stir-fried or in soups

Medicinal:  Treatment of bites and high in antioxidants 

Betel leaves

Vietnamese: La lot

Tasting notes: bitter character with sweet aromatics

Culinary uses: wrapped around minced beef and grilled, stir fries, eaten raw

Medicinal: Juice of betel leaves with honey - serve as a good tonic

Leaves soaked in mustard oil and warmed, can be applied to the chest area to relieve cough and difficulties in breathing. Also used as an antiseptic

Source: SBS Food

AmaranthVietnamese: Rau dên 

Culinary uses:  Use like spinach in salads or as a cooked vegetable

Chrysanthemum greens

Vietnamese: Tan ô

Tasting notes:  Bitter, strong flavour

Culinary uses:  In soups, cooked or raw, and sautéed

Medicinal:  Rich in vitamin B

Mustard leaves

Vietnamese: cai xanh

Culinary uses:  Eaten raw as a salad or cooked

Medicinal:  High in vitamin A

Seafood hotpot Source: Alan Benson

Go hot with this seafood hot pot recipe right here.

 

Elephant ear stem/stalk

Vietnamese: Bac Ha

Tasting notes:  Mild grassy flavoured spongy stems

Culinary uses:  Stems add texture and absorb the flavours of soups and stir-fries.  Co

Medicinal: Good source of iron, phosphorus, and zinc

Bitter melon

Vietnamese: khô qua

Tasting notes:  Similar texture to a cucumber though very bitter 

Culinary uses:  Can be eaten green or when it ripens it is often cooked with meat or made into a soup

Medicinal:  Beneficial for stomach related disorders  

Green mango

Vietnamese:  Xoai Song

Tasting notes:  Tart, crisp and refreshing with underlying mango flavour 

Culinary uses:  Used in salads and eaten with salt & pounded chilli as a snack

Medicinal: Good source of fibre, rich in vitamin A and vitamin C

Kohlrabi

Vietnamese:  Xu hào 

Culinary uses:  Can be eaten raw, sliced or diced in salads, sautéed, stir-fried or braised.

Tasting notes:  Similar texture and taste to broccoli stem with a hint of mustard

Medicinal:  High in fibre, source of vitamin C and potassium 

Banana flower/banana blossom

Vietnamese: Bap Chuoi

Culinary uses:  Remove outer leaves and sliced or diced and used in salad, stews, stir-fries.

Medicinal: valuable source of vitamin B, vitamin C, and potassium