Persicaria odorata

Persicaria odorata

€5,90
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Persicaria odorata
  • Persicaria odorata
  • Persicaria odorata
Persicaria odorata

Persicaria odorata

€5,90
Organic
Sustainable
Locally grown

Vietnamese coriander - known as Rau Ram across Asia, and sometimes called Chinese Basil or Vietnamese Mint - is known for its aromatic leaves and stems that are widely used in Asian cooking. 

The top of its leaf is dark green, with chestnut-colored spots, while the leaf's bottom is burgundy red. 

It rarely flowers outside the tropics.

The flavour and fragrance of young leaves eaten raw evoke both coriander and lemongrass, while cooked stems and leaves develop a peppery warmth that pairs beautifully with meat dishes.

This is a frost-tender perennial, most often grown as an annual in open ground. In the garden or in pots, plant out after the last frost — around mid-May — for harvests from spring through summer, picking as needed. It can be kept from year to year by overwintering it in a frost-free spot. With its spreading, trailing habit, this aromatic knotweed also looks gorgeous in a shady pergola in a hanging basket.
Flowering July, August
Exposure Full Sun
Frost Tolerance -5°C
Size 30cm H x 50cm W
Soil Cool, Moist
Origin Cambodia, China (North-Central, South-Central and Southeast), Hainan, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam
pda705
€5,90
Out of stock

🪴9x9 cm

🚂 Ships across EU
🌱 Grown in our nursery

🧑‍🍳 Edible
☀️ Full Sun/Partial ShadeSmoothie + Iced Tea

Gardening Tips

❄️Mulch and/or keep in pots in the summer for humidity, in the winter for the frost
☀️ Prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade.
🌿 Add compost for more aromatic foliage
🦋 Loved by bees and butterflies.
The Botany

But despite its other name, Vietnamese coriander is unrelated to the mints, nor is it in the mint family Lamiaceae, but its general appearance and fragrance are reminiscent of them. It is also not closely related to coriander (family Apiaceae).

Persicariais in the family Polygonaceae, collectively known as "smartweeds" or "pinkweeds". The similarities in the tastes and smells betweenPersicariaand coriander and mint may be an example of convergent evolution.
The Myth

Traditionally, in Vietnam, the herb is believed to repress sexual urges. A saying in Vietnamese states, "rau răm, giá sống" ("Vietnamese coriander, raw bean sprouts"), which refers to the common belief that Vietnamese coriander reduces sexual desire, while bean sprouts have the opposite effect. Many Buddhist monks grow coriander in their private gardens and eat it frequently, believing it helps them remain celibate.

The leaf is primarily associated with Vietnamese cuisine, where it is commonly eaten fresh in salads (including chicken salad) and in raw gỏi cuốn, as well as in some soups such as canh chua and bún thang, and stews, such as fish kho tộ. It is also popularly eaten with trứng vịt lộn (fertilized duck egg).

In Australia, Persicaria odorata is being investigated as a source of essential oil (kesom oil). Research conducted in North East Victoria has shown that kesom oil has potential applications in the flavor and fragrance industry, particularly as a natural source of aliphatic aldehydes.

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