VIETNAMESE COMMON HERBS
One of the highlights of Vietnamese cuisine is the combination of vegetable seasonings you get with your dish. It is easy for you to realize this when you order a Vietnamese dish, especially the country’s various noodle soups, your food usually comes with a dish of leaves and vegetables in different shades of colors, green or purple.
These leaves have been over generations to complement some specific dishes for various reasons. For example, enhancing a dish’s taste, simply providing an additional supply of fiber and nutrients, or even to cure common diseases (have a cold).
Below are the most popular herbs used in Vietnamese cuisine.
Vietnamese Perilla (Tía Tô)
Vietnamese Perilla leaves are green on top, purple underneath and similar to stinging nettles.
The herb with a strong taste is usually served with popular soup dishes such as phở, bún chả, or bún riêu, along with salads and grilled or boiled meats.
Vietnamese Perilla leaves are well-known for its antibacterial and antiviral agents. In Chinese medicine, the herb is used to deal with respiratory issues like coughs, stuffy nose or asthma.
Thai Basil (Húng Quế)
Thai Basil, another of the most popular herbs across Vietnam, has small and slightly narrow dark green leaves and its purple stems. The herb has its smell quite similar to black licorice.
With a taste of slightly sweet, Thai Basil is usually served with Phở. Simply tear off the leaves and add them to your soup. Thai Basil is known for its antibacterial properties, so the herb is also used to cure coughs or stuffy nose.
Culantro (Ngò Gai)
Culantro is a herb, with long, serrated and narrow leaves. It has a slightly stronger taste than cilantro (Rau Ngò Mùi).
Culantro often accompanies Vietnamese noodles (Phở), Bánh Xèo (a kind of Vietnamese beansprout pancake with shrimp and pork).
The herb is commonly used to cure colds, diarrhea, pneumonia symptoms and other diseases.
Piper Lolot (Lá Lốt)
The herb is dark green and has a bitter, peppery taste. Piper Lolot is often used as an outer wrap for some Vietnamese foods such as Bò lá lốt, Heo lá lốt hay Vịt nướng lá lốt (grilled beef or pork or duck wrapped in the leaves).
The teardrop-shaped herbs are often confused for betel leaves because of their appearance. Piper Lolot leaves are commonly used to cure some inflammation, especially inflammations caused by snakebites.
Fish Mint (Diếp Cá)
Fish Mint has green, heart-shaped leaves which has a slightly fishy smell, so it is called Fish Mint (Diếp Cá).
The Vietnamese herb is often served with fried spring rolls, fresh spring rolls, grilled meat, pancakes, noodles, or salads.
Fish Mint leaves are also one of the well-known natural remedies for indigestion and stomachaches.
Bitter Herb (Rau Đắng)
Bitter Herb is small, low sprawling, tender stems and smooth, round leaves.
The Vietnamese herb got its name because of its bitter taste. It is usually served with hot pots or used for soups.
Bitter Herb leaves are traditionally used to cure fever, inflammation and joint pain.
Vietnamese Coriander ( Rau Răm)
Vietnamese Coriander is another popular herb. The herb is dark green and two purple streaks.
Vietnamese Coriander also smells like mint. It taste is the combination of a slightly lemony, traditional mint, and bitter aftertaste.
Vietnamese Coriander is often used in soups and stews, salads, fresh or fried spring rolls, especially known as the sidekick to Hột vịt lộn (unhatched baby duck egg).
Vietnamese people usually eat the leaves to improve the digestion system because of its diuretic properties.
Vietnamese Balm (Kinh Giới)
Vietnamese Balm has its long and serrated leaves which are usually served with some soups or boiled meat.
Its taste is the combination of mint and lemon, so Vietnamese Balm is quite common in Vietnamese cuisine.
Vietnamese Balm is also another natural remedy for cold, fever and headache treatment.
Cilantro ( Chinese coriander or Ngò Mùi)
Cilantro has its broad leaves and tiny top. The famous herb tastes quite earthy or soapy.
In Vietnam, Cilantro is served with many soups, grilled and fried dishes, and others. You can found it easily in one of the most Vietnamese common street foods, Bánh Mì.
Cilantro leaves are a good source of iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and Vitamin A, C, and K.
Rice Paddy (Ngò ôm)
This is a kind of bright green herb with its hollow stems and small hairs.
Rice Paddy leaves are quite spongy to the touch. The herb has serrated leaves and its taste is the combination of dill and lemon.
Rice paddy is often served with Vietnamese sour soup (Canh Chua) or hot pots.
The herb is often used as a mouthwash and a natural remedy for kidney stones.
Chinese Chives (Hẹ)
The Vietnamese herb which has somewhat-garlicky flavor is also called garlic chives. Chinese Chives has a tubular shape which flattens off at the ends.
Vietnamese people usually use chopped Chinese Chives as a garnish for Chinese noodles (Hủ tiếu) and other soups.
Chinese Chives is a source of rich organosulfur compounds which have been extensively proved by scientists in fighting stomach and colorectal cancers.
Spearmint (Húng Lủi)
Spearmint has dark green leaves with serrated edges and it is also a milder version of mint.
Spearmint leaves are usually eaten raw or served with salads and spring rolls.
The common Vietnamese herb is well-known for its benefits in improving the digestive system. Spearmint leaves also act as a home remedy for nausea, stomach distress, and indigestion.
Peppermint (Húng Cây)
Peppermint holds a slightly glossier sheen and has a strong, minty smell. The herb is also eaten raw and served with salads and spring rolls.
Peppermint has health benefits in improving irritable bowel syndrome or fighting tuberculosis.
