Envoy at 09:38, 24 October 2007

2007-10-24T09:38:40Z

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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Vietnamese coriander
| image = Laksa-bush.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Caryophyllales]]
| familia = [[Polygonaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Persicaria]]''
| species = '''''P. odorata'''''
| binomial = ''Persicaria odorata''
| binomial_authority = Lour.
}}
'''Vietnamese coriander''' (''Persicaria odorata'', [[Synonymy|syn.]] ''Polygonum odoratum'', [[Polygonaceae]]) is an [[herb]] whose leaves are commonly used in [[Southeast Asia]]n cooking. Other [[English language|English]] names for the herb include '''Vietnamese mint''', '''Vietnamese cilantro''', '''Cambodian mint''' and '''hot mint'''. The Vietnamese name is ''rau răm'', while in Malaysia and Singapore it is called ''daun kesom'' or ''daun laksa'' (laksa leaf). In Thailand, it is called pak pai (ผักไผ่). It is not related to the [[mint]]s, but the general appearance and odor are reminiscent.

Above all, the leaf is identified with [[Vietnamese cuisine]], where it is commonly eaten fresh in salads and in raw [[spring roll]]s (''goi cuon''). Bowls of ''[[phở]]'' (beef noodles) are also typically garnished with Vietnamese mint. It is also popularly eaten with ''hột vịt lộn'' (fertilized duck egg, known as ''[[balut]]'' in the Philippines).

In [[Singapore]] and [[Malaysia]], the shredded leaf is an essential ingredient of ''[[laksa]]'', a spicy soup, so much so that the [[Malay language|Malay]] name ''daun laksa'' means "laksa leaf."

In [[Australia]] the plant is being investigated as a source of essential oil (kesom oil).

==Characteristics==
The Vietnamese coriander is a [[perennial plant]] that grows best in tropical and subtropical zones in warm and damp conditions. It cannot live above the 32° parallel or in places with too much water. In advantageous conditions, it can grow up to 15 to 30 cm. In the winter or when the temperature is too high, it can wither.

The top of its leaf is dark green, with chestnut-colored spots while the leaf's bottom is burgundy red. Its stem has sections. In Vietnam it can be cultivated or found in the wild.

==Components==
Its oil contains [[aldehyde]]s such as [[decanal]] (28%) and [[dodecanal]] (44%), as well as the alcohol [[1-decanol|decanol]] (11%). [[Sesquiterpene]]s such as [[humulene|α-humulene]] and [[caryophyllene|β-caryophyllene]] comprise about 15% of its oil.

==Medicinal uses==
According to Vietnamese experts, Vietnamese Coriander has a bitter and spicy taste, is nontoxic, and can detoxify food. They claim that it can be used to treat swellings, acne, indigestion, flatulence, and stomach aches.

===Effects on health===
In many Vietnamese herbal remedies, it is used to repress sexual urges. There is a saying in Vietnamese, ''"rau răm, giá sống"'' ("Vietnamese coriander, live bean sprouts") meaning that Vietnamese coriander has the ability to reduce fertility, while live bean sprouts have the opposite effect. There is also a saying ''"rău răm diệt dục"'' (Vietnamese coriander kills sexual urges). Many [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] monks grow it in their private gardens and eat it frequently.

== External links ==
*[http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Poly_odo.html Vietnamese Coriander (Polygonum odoratum Lour.) page] from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages
*Kesom Oil – a New Essential Oil for the International Flavour and Fragrance Industry ''in'' [http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/NPP/UQ33A2.pdf First Australian New Crops Conference 1996 – Volume 2]

{{Herbs & spices}}

[[Category:Herbs]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Polygonaceae]]
[[Category:Vietnamese cuisine]]

Vietnamese coriander - Revision history

Envoy at 09:38, 24 October 2007