Vietnamese Herb Primer

Vietnamese herbs are collectively known as rau thom, literally translated as fragrant leaves. "Rau" generically refers to leafy vegetables and "thom" means fragrant. Note that many of these herbs begin with the word "rau" to denote the full name. In daily conversation, however, it's okay to omit "rau" as people will still know what you're talking about! However, there are a few exceptions, such as rau ram, which you've got say both words for people to understand you.

Eating and cooking Viet requires lots of fresh herbs. Some are easily recognizable, others will seem more exotic. Below are short discussion on the different kinds of herbs, how to use them and how to store them. Gardening and seed and plant sources are highlighted in the "Growing Vietnamese Herbs" posting.

Page contents:

• Cilantro and cilantro-like herbs: Ngo (cilantro), ngo gai (culantro), rau ram (Vietnamese coriander)
• Mint, basil, and mint-like herbs: Hung (mint), hung cay (spicy mint), hung que (Thai basil), kinh gioi (Vietnamese balm)
• Other Viet herbs: Tia to (red perilla), diep ca (fish mint), bao om (rice paddy), la lot (wild betel), xa (lemongrass), rau thom (sorrel), thi la (dill)
• How to use herbs the Viet way
• How to keep herbs fresh and perky

CILANTRO AND CILANTRO-LIKE HERBS

Ngo ~ "N-gaw" Mui ~ "Moo-ee"
Common names	Cilantro, Chinese coriander, coriander
Botanical name	Coriandrum sativum
	Cilantro is used extensively in Viet cooking to garnish foods, add a final zip to dishes, and round out the essential salad plate of lettuces and herbs that's eaten alongside many fried and grilled foods. Both the mature broad leaves and the tender tiny tops are eaten at the Vietnamese table.
Availability	Easy to purchase at grocery stores. Seeds and plants are also readily available. Cilantro bolts quickly so eat up or regularly pinch back the growing center stem!

Ngo Gai ~ "N-gaw guy" Mui Tau ~ "Moo-ee Tao" Ngo Tau ~ "N-gaw Tao"
Common names	Mexican coriander, thorny coriander, culantro, saw-leaf herb, saw-tooth herb, recao, Tabasco parsley
Botanical name	Eryngium foetidum
	A favored herb for tearing up and adding to hot bowls of pho beef noodle soup, ngo gai is more expensive than most Viet herbs because it's slow to grow. Each leaf emanates from the base of the plant; there are no stems from which multiple leaves may flourish. This herb is native to Central America and is now grown throughout Southeast Asia and Latin America. The leaves are thick and the thorns edging the leaves won't hurt you. Flavorwise, it's stronger than true cilantro, yielding a much earthier flavor. You can always substitute cilantro.
Availability	At Viet, Caribbean and sometimes Latino markets, ngo gai is sold in plastic bags or on Styrofoam trays wrapped in plastic. Plants are sometimes sold there too during the summertime. For mail order seeds and plants, go to Richter's Herb Catalogue or the culantro page listed on the left sidebar.

Rau Ram ~ "Rau Rahm"
Common names	Vietnamese coriander, hot mint, daun laksa, daun kakok, daun kesum, laksa leaf
Botanical name	Polygonum odoratum
	Related to familiar smartweed and knotweed, rau ram is spicy with hints of cilantro. This is a hearty perennial herb, having endured several frosts at my Northern California home. Rau ram is great in the ground and can spread quite far. To contain the plant, grow it in a pot and let it spill from the rim. It may also be grown indoors, if there's good light. Some people say to substitute cilantro but I beg to differ. Rau ram's spiciness is unique.
Availability	At Vietnamese markets in the states, rau ram is sold in bunches. Mail order plants from Richter.com or purchase them from nurseries. In California, you may even find rau ram plants at Home Depot! Fresh cuttings may be propagated by sticking them in water and letting them sprout roots; keep them on a window sill with some sun exposure.

MINT, BASIL AND MINT-LIKE HERBS

Hung ~ "Hoong" Hung Lui ~ "Hoong Lou-ee" Hung Diu ~ "Hoong Zee-ew" Hung Lang ~ "Hoong Lang"
Common names	Mint, spearmint
Botanical names	Mentha spicata
	The mints available abroad are not the same as those in Vietnam. However, they're tastes are basically the same. Mint in the U.S. comes in two guises, one that's mildly flavored and one that's spicy. For many people, the mildness of the former rau hung (essentially spearmint, pictured here) is much preferred over the assertiveness of rau hung cay (below). Northern Vietnamese who are purists about their pho noodle soup will insist on mint instead of purple basil. I particularly enjoy mint with chicken pho. Rau hung diu is interchangeable with rau hung.
Availability	Regular grocery store mint is fine. Mint plants are widely available at nurseries.
Hung Cay ~ "Hoong Kay"
Common name	Mint
Botanical name	Mentha x gracilis
	Not eaten as often as rau hung (above), rau hung cay's spicy flavor is akin to a light version of peppermint. The leaf is more rounded in shape than that of rau hung. There's usually a red stem. The delicate thin leaves, however, offer a nice spearminty sweetness but can also have a certain bite, hence the name. This spicy mint packs a punch in foods such as beef or chicken pho.
Availability	At Vietnamese markets, rau hung cay is usually sold next to rau hung. I've sometimes encountered rau hung cay at Middle Eastern markets too.

Hung Que ~ "Hoong Quay"
Common names	Thai basil, Thai purple basil, Asian basil, anise basil
Botanical name	Ocimum sp.
	This is the ubiquitous basil that's now commonly served with bowls of pho beef noodle soup. Rau hung que is traditionally served alongside Vietnamese pork blood sausages (long heo), as its spicy earthy notes provide the perfect contrast to the pungent richness of the sausages. Interestingly, the literal translation of rau hung que is "cinnamon mint", though the herb is botanically a basil.
Availability	At Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Plants and seeds are easily found at nurseries and online sources.

Kinh Gioi ~ "Kin Zoy"
Common names	Vietnamese Balm, Vietnamese mint
Botanical name	Elsholtzia ciliata
	A lemony herb that's unparalleled in flavor. The delicate saw-edged leaves are terrific raw and typically accompany cooked foods such as grilled meats.
Availability	Buy bunches at Vietnamese markets. Plants also sometimes sold in summertime at these markets. Richters Herb Catalogue from Canada offers plants. Fresh cuttings may be propagated by sticking them in water and letting them sprout roots; keep them on a window sill with some sun.

OTHER VIET HERBS

Tia To ~ "Tee-ah Toe"
Common names	Purple perilla, hojiso (Japanese), beefsteak, red perilla
Botanical name	Perilla frutescens
	This is one of my favorite herbs in the Viet culinary palette. Its beauty lies in leaves that are purplish red on one side and green on the other. Its strong flavors stand up perfectly to bold flavored foods such as mock turtle stew (thit heo nau ya ba ba) and perks up the delicate qualities of a fried shrimp fritter (banh tom). If you enjoy green shiso leaves in your sushi, here's its Vietnamese counterpart - a little more assertive and a lot cheaper to buy! Note that in Vietnam, the leaves are dark purple on both sides and more delicate in flavor.

Ba Om ~ "Bah Ohm" Ngo Om ~ "N-gaw Ohm" Rau Om ~ "Raw Ohm"
Common names	Rice paddy herb
Botanical name	Limnophila aromatica
	A little citrusy and with a mild cumin flavor, this herb is mostly used in Vietnamese sour fish soup. It's quite pretty to grow and can take lots of moisture. As a substitute, I often use a pinch of ground cumin. All three Vietnamese terms above are interchangeable.
Availability	Not easy to find outside of a Vietnamese market. During the summer time, you may find the plants sold in small containers (usually Styrofoam cups). The small leaves are beautiful.

Diep Ca ~ "Zip Kah" Dap Ca ~ "Zahp Kah"
Common names	Vap ca, Fish mint, fishscale mint
Botanical name	Houttuynia cordata
	The heart-shaped leaves of this herb have an unusual slightly sour, fishy flavor. Some folks love rau diep ca's tangy qualities and others focus on its unusual fishiness. For this reason, it's not commonly found at the Viet table. I enjoy it with boldly flavored grilled meat. Interestingly, a variegated form of this herb is often planted for decorative purposes.
Availability	At Viet markets mostly since it's not widely eaten.

La Lot ~ "La Loht"
Common names	Pepper leaf, wild betel leaf, ye-thoei (Thai)
Botanical name	Piper sarmentosum
	Often expensive to buy, these heart-shaped leaves are used to wrap around a ground beef mixture for thit bo nuong la lot. When grilled, la lot leaves impart a wonderful herbal flavor to the garlicky beef. The leaves are shiny and wet looking on one side and matted on the other. Raw, the leaves have a sweet cinnamon scent but their taste isn't cinnamon like, but rather a little medicinal.
Availability	At Asian markets in the states, the leaves are sold in bundles, Styrofoam trays or plastic bags.

Xa ~ "Sahh"
Common name	Lemongrass
Botanical name	Cymbopogon citrata
	Easily found in markets these days, lemongrass offers its alluring flavors to many Viet dishes, from homey curries to grilled meats. You can't cook Viet without xa, so you want to have a good supply on hand, whether that be by growing your own or buying from the grocery store. Lemongrass keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator. However, I buy it by the bunch and cut each stalk into 3 or 4-inch lengths. Throw them in a Ziploc and keep in the freezer. Thawed lemongrass is easier to cut and the flavor is about 95% as good as fresh.
Availability	Though found year-round in markets, lemongrass peaks in warm weather months. It's easy to grow as you can actually stick a fresh stalk into the ground and it with regular care, it will grow. While this is for the adventurous, nurseries often offer more established plants for your gardening needs. Be forewarned of lemongrass' tendency to spread; a container may be your best bet. From Paul, a visitor from the U.K.: I am a keen gardener and organically grow most of my own food. Last year I had a small piece of lemongrass in the fridge which was showing signs of roots forming. I decided to encourage these roots in a jar of water and potted it up into a small pot of compost in the spring. It has grown huge (has been re-potted), and is very attractive. In the UK it is an expensive herb to buy in the supermarket, so I would suggest to your readers that they could do the same. I am sure it would happily sit on a balcony or veranda if space is limited, and unlike most herbs does not run to seed and looks like it may even withstand the English winter!
Rau Chua ~ "Rau Choo-ah" Rau Thom ~ "Rau Tohm"
Common name	Sorrel (oseille in French)
Botanical name	Belongs to Rumex family
	Though sorrel grows wild throughout Europe and Asia, most of the information in print discusses uses in England, France and Italy. You often hear of French Sorrel and its use in sauces to go along with fish. When pounded to a paste with vinegar or lemon juice and sugar, sorrel becomes part of English greensauce and is eaten with meat and fish. In the European kitchen, sorrel may be used in soups, purees and sauces, tucked into an omelette or stuffed into fish. Oddly enough, using sorrel as part of the fresh herb assortment at the Vietnamese table is a practice developed in America. That's why there isn't a Vietnamese name for the herb. It's referred to by Viet-Americans as rau chua (sour herb) or rau thom (fresh herb). Enjoy it as you would any of the raw herbs used to add zip to food. The use of this herb was brought to my attention by a visitor to the kitchen.
Availability	Use only fresh sorrel in Viet applications. Grow it yourself from seeds and you'll find that it spreads and is rather tough to get rid of. Since it's a mostly considered a western herb, you can obtain seeds through normal channels. (See top of sidebar.) Spring is when sorrel is at its peak, when the leaves are tender and delicately tart.
Thi La ~ "Tee Lah" Thia La ~ "Tee-ah Lah
Common name	Dill
Botanical name	Anthenum Graveolens
{Photo pending}	One of the few herbs not eaten raw in Vietnam, dill is added druing cooking and to finish a dish. The feathery tops are chopped and mixed into a fine beef paste that is boiled and served as a cold cut and is used in Hanoi-style grilled catfish with turmeric.
Availability	Available at supermarkets, Middle Eastern and farmers' markets are great souces for fresh beautiful bunches at reasonable prices. Don't use dried dill weed, which lacks the bright flavor of fresh dill.

USING HERBS THE VIET WAY

In the Vietnamese kitchen most herbs are not used for cooking but rather, eaten raw as an accompaniment to foods. In a democratic fashion, whole stem of herbs are put on a plate along with lettuce leaves, etc. Diners help themselves the herbs of their liking and pinch off the individual leaves to add to their bowl of food or to incorporate into a hand roll. The stems are discarded.

Sometimes fresh herbs are added to finish a dish. In the case of lemongrass —which can't be eaten raw— the stalk is used in the actual cooking process.

KEEPING HERBS FRESH AND PERKY

Soak Method
In Vietnam, I noticed that people sometimes keep their herbs soaking in water until serving time, which enables them to remain perky. When I returned to the States, I tried this method and found that the herbs tended to pick up too much water, thereby diluting their flavor. Moreover, cilantro lost its shape and didn't take well to this approach.

Refrigerator Method
The method I prefer is sort of a florist approach to preserving herbs. Take your bunch of herbs and trim ½ inch off the stems. Place the bunch in a jar of water. Loosely cover the container with a plastic bag (a clear one will let you see what's inside) and keep it refrigerated. Change the water every third or fourth day and your herbs will last for about a week or two. This works wonders for cilantro, which tends to get slimy in the crisper.

If you're tight for refrigerator space, place a paper towel in the plastic bag with your herbs to absorb excess moisture. Store the herbs in the vegetable/crisper bin.

Comments

[Gardening Seeds]

Thank you very much for the information I really appreciate it!!

[Long]

Wow,amazing article for this!!! I really appreciate it as well, it saves me so much time for searching the English name of all my favourite country's herbs.
Thank you so much!

[Margaret Lauterbach]

Houttynia cordata (variegated, yet edible) is widely used in the U.S. as an ornamental ground cover. It was very popular a few years ago, has fallen out of favor because it's considered invasive or at least difficult to control. Many nurseries carry it.

[Michelle]

I'll have you know that Alec has planted a Vietnamese herb garden, based on your primer, on our balcony. We have rau ram and sorrel thus far, and he's going to plant seeds for culantro, perilla, and Vietnamese balm. Sadly, the DAY he planted the first batch was also the day our upstairs neighbor decided to clean her balcony with Mr. Clean and wash it over the edge, where it spilled onto our balcony and down to the first floor. Crazy! The herbs seem to be doing okay, mostly because Alec flushed them out. We were mad, though.

[Annie Pham]

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[Alan Nguyen]

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[TInkerbell20]

wow just stumbled across this website while searching Húng Cay. im very limited in my knowledge of Asian cuisine but adore it so i love to learn as much as i can. your website has helped me! thank you.

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