Summer's hot-weather is peak time for growing and eating Vietnamese herbs. In fact, above is my friend Alec Mitchell's Vietnamese herb 'garden' that he set up on his condo balcony in Culver City. He started the herbs with an indoor Aerogarden unit and planted the seedlings in recycled terracotta pots.
Fresh herbs (rau thom) are an elemental part of the cuisine so don’t miss out on them. They offer an amazing array of nuanced flavor and soft, leafy texture unlike common western herbs such as basil and parsley. For information on why fresh herbs matter in Vietnamese cooking, the awesome array of herbs, and how to source and grow them, check out this article I wrote for the Los Angeles Times Food Section that was published today:
- Fresh Herbs at the Center of Vietnamese Cuisine, LA Times Food Section, July 15, 2009
It’s a piece I’ve wanted to see in print for years! For more, check the Vietnamese Herb Primer and Gardening section on this site. Also, peruse pages 17-20 in Into the Vietnamese Kitchen.
Dennis M Reed says
I think it could be confusing for most non-Asian folks to say "culantro or mint" even if culantro is often labelled "mint" in Asian markets because, even if they are related genetically, there is no similarity in taste.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-506.html
"NOMENCLATURE
"The derivation of culantro and recao, by which the plant is commonly known in Central America, is unknown but many of its names outside its natural habitat compare it to the common coriander or cilantro, e.g. Hindi bhandhanya, broad dhanya, or coriander, and Thai pak chi farang "foreign coriander." The botanical genus name Eryngium is derived from the Greek sea holly, Eryngium vulgare, and its specific name comes from the Latin foetidum meaning stink or bad odor; its smell is sometimes equated to a crushed bedbug. Some of the common names of culantro in the Caribbean area are: shado beni (Trinidad), chadron benee (Dominica), fitweed (Guyana), coulante or culantro (Haiti), recao (Puerto Rico) (Seaforth et al. 1983; Morean 1988; Seaforth 1988). Names in different languages include: langer koriander (German); ketumbar java (Malay); pak chi farang (Thai); ngo gai (Vietnamese); culantro, racao, recao (Spanish); bhandhanya (Hindi), and long leaf or spiny coriander (English)."
in addition to "recao", Puerto Ricans also call it "culantro".
Andrea Nguyen says
It is a tough situation with the various names for the herbs. Thanks for the Purdue information, Dennis. I suppose that years ago, when cilantro was coming onto the scene that calling it "Chinese parsley" was confusing too. Nowadays, it helps to be multilingual and thank goodness ingredients like culantro are more widely available, or we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
jason d says
Doesn't read to me as if she is equating culantro and mint, rather just listing three herbs: Thai basil, culantro or mint. I've never seen culantro labeled as mint, does that really happen?
Andrea Nguyen says
Jason, I've never seen culantro labeled as mint either, but then, you never know...
Eve says
I'm interested in the labelling thing too. We buy all our Vietnamese herbs and vegetables from a series of tiny stalls on the edge of a big Vietnamese wholesale market that sells mostly textiles and toys (you can see a panoramic view of it here), and those stallholders never have any of the produce labelled. Questions about any of the produce are invariably answered with "Vietnamese vegetable, cook in wok" or "Vietnamese vegetable, eat in salad" so we just buy a bit of everything that looks good and try to identify it online when we get home. Your website has been very helpful for the herbs, so thanks for that.
I should also mention that our favourite stallholder was very impressed with the pictures and recipe selection in your book, despite not being able to read English.
Eve says
Sorry, the picture link didn't work. Second attempt: http://www.360cities.net/image/the-vietnamese-market-in-malesice
Andrea Nguyen says
Eve, thanks for the 360cities link. That's amazing. Love your insights on the Sriracha taste off post on the Viet-Czech population.
It is hard to communicate all the nuances of how to deal with a vegetable. I hear it all the time in the U.S., but I suppose that having people interested in new, unfamiliar produce is the point. So then growers and shop keepers have to step and communicate well. Little by little...
Jason G says
Thanks for the link to that article, Andrea. It was a great read. Recently my attention has been drawn to Vietnamese herbs after an exciting trip to my local asian grocer. It was their produce delivery day and I found some beautiful rau ram, mint, and curry leaves (which were a great surprise). I should have picked up some of the shiso too, it sounds like it would have been a nice addition to the salad rolls I made. I ended up using just rau ram and mint.
Cam On, thanks again for your great website and recipes.
Tim Adam says
hello everyone, i'm tim and i'm fond of herb gardening. Having your own mini garden at home is a must if you love to cook awesome and delicious meals. Herbs are great addition to almost all types of dish. Learn more about herb gardening in this site http://www.herbgardeningplace.com/.
Andrea Nguyen says
@Jason G: Thanks for the message! You found curry leaves? Lucky devil! I love curry leaf. Keep up the trips to the market. Those herbs are fabulous to play with!
Tim Adam says
vietnamese herbs are really great for cooking. they have unique taste that make the dishes totally special. You can make your own herb gardening at home by visiting http://www.herbgardeningplace.com .
once you have a mini garden of different vietnamese herbs, you will surely love to cook all day long in the kitchen. Your dishes will be loved by your family members and guests.
Jason G says
@ Andrea: yes, and I bought a whole bunch. They were better than the ones I usually get at Indian stores. Yesterday was their fresh produce day again, and I got rau ram, mint, thai basil, culantro, and shiso...all of which made their way into yesterday's salad rolls and today's pho. 🙂
Steve says
Thanks for the link to that article, Andrea. It was a great read. Recently my attention has been drawn to Vietnamese herbs after an exciting trip to my local asian grocery store. http://ww.rapidsloth has all the herb types and info on each.
NRG2 says
i tried a lot of herbs in vietnam. u can import them from http://www.euphoriaplantfood.com
Jordan 5 says
A lot will come out over time but the truth has been out there for a long time as well but that doesn't give you what you want so this dance just goes on and on.
Immune System Herbs says
Culantro as mint? Hmmmm. Not so sure about that one. Nice site, I'm bookmarking it. Thanks.
http://www.immunesystemherbs.org
Jupiter Ionizer says
Nice article, you (at least I don't) usually see Vietnamese herbs mentioned much. It's usually Indian or Chinese herbs that are talked about.
cheap air yeezy says
After read the article.I have just one word to say,you are so brilliant.I like all of your article.Well done.
Taobao English site says
nous n'avon pas la hannuka ici en Brésil..#
Orchids Repotting says
I have yet to taste vietnamese herbs, it sounds interesting though--I will have to try it.
http://www.orchidshowtogrow.com/
Canada Goose Jakker says
Canada Goose parka er ligesom en flamme, der kan gøre os varme hele vinteren.
Inverter Welding Machines says
Article is really very informative blogger has put up healthy
contribution towards information.
herbal products says
The herbs are the secret to the most delicious Vietnamese cuisine. They are also used for medicinal purposes.
Buy Kamagra says
Grand sujet pour un mode de vie sain, Merci pour le partage de la grande question sur ce sujet
Pharmacy Wholesaler says
A blog amit megosztott az egészségügyi valóban a legfontosabb része az emberi egészség, az írás az ilyen típusú blog csinálsz nagy dolgokat az emberi élet,
-------------
Rachel Garcia
On line pharmacy says
Nice healthy point you have shared here on Vietnamese herbs. Thank you.
shagor says
A very informative position. The way you have share this facts and figures is actually very appreciative. desire to glimpse more on this topic here. Thanks for posting this facts and figures here.
http://www.legalherbalonline.com/