Vietnamese Culinary Herbs in the United States Author(s): K. R. Kuebel and Arthur O. Tucker Source: Economic Botany, Vol.

42, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1988), pp. 413-419 Published by: Springer on behalf of New York Botanical Garden Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4255092 . Accessed: 12/10/2011 19:14
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Vietnamese Culinary Herbs in the United States1

K. R. KUEBEL2 ANDARTHUR TUCKER3 0. chemistry,and usesof nine Vietnamese cultivation, Identification, herbs,hitherto rareor unknownin the UnitedStates, are discussed: Giap Cfa (Houttuyniacordata), La Lot (Piper lolot), Rau Rim (Polygonum odoratum), Rau Muong (Ipomoea aquatica), Ngo Gai (Eryngiumfoetidum), Rau Can (Oenanthejavanica), Can DaiyL'a(Plectranthus and amboinicus),Tia To (Perillafrutescens), Rau Ngo (Limnophila aromatica). In 1975, about 140,000 Vietnamese refugees were flown to the United States (Lane 1986). This Vietnamese immigration has brought an unexpected boon to herb growers and fanciers of exotic food. Unlike many ethnic groups that have come to this country in the past, the Vietnamese brought their plants with them. Twenty to 30 taxa of plants, hitherto rare or unknown in the U.S., are now being grown wherever there are Vietnamese communities. Nine of these plants have been chosen for this discussion, preference being given to those used as condiments and including only those for which we have first-hand knowledge of uses and growing conditions. All of the plants discussed in this article are suitable for cultivation in most of the southern United States, providing that severe frost is avoided and moist conditions are provided. Vietnamese seasoning herbs can be divided into two classes: those that are eaten raw and those that are cooked. The former predominates, a situation quite unlike that prevailing in most western cooking. If possible, the herbs are gathered from the garden just before the meal is served. Many of these herbs are used only as a garnish for particular dishes or simply as a salad, a plate of assorted herbs being customarily served with lunch or dinner. Distinctions among herb/potherb/vegetable are thus blurred. There are, or course, herbs and spices-such as lemon grass (Xa or Sa, Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf) and the aromatic roots of ginger (Gu'ng, Zingiber officinale Roscoe), turmeric (Nghe, Curcuma longa L.), and galanga (Rieng or Gieng, Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd.) (all used fresh whenever possible)-that are used much as they are used in the West and are never eaten in a salad. Some of these are mentioned in the miscellaneous section because of their exotic nature and their widespread use in Vietnamese cuisine. The original information in this review was obtained by personal interviews with Vietnamese immigrants in central Texas during the last 5 yr. Many of these herbs are ignored by the leading Vietnamese cookbook in English, Ngo and Zimmerman (1986), but are well covered by the flora of South Vietnam (Pham-Hoiang Ho and Nguyen-van-Du'o'ng 1960). Identifications are according to Pham-Hoang

'Received 10 May 1987; accepted5 January1988. Boerne,TX 78006. 3Departmentof Agricultureand Natural Resources, Delaware State College, Dover, DE 199012275.
2 Box 801,

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Ho and Nguyen-van-Du'o'ng (1960) and arevoucheredby specimensin the Claude E. Phillips Herbarium,Delaware State College (DOV). Saururaceae Gidp Cd, HouttuyniacordataThunberg Houttuynia cordata exists in two chemotypes: a Japanese chemotype (dokudami), scented of oranges, and a Chinese chemotype (ch'i, chii-ts'ai, or yutxTng scented of raw meat, fish, and fresh coriander foliage. The Japanese checado), motype has been shown to be rich in dodecanoic acid, 2-undecanone,and methyl decanoate(Tutupalliand Chaubal 1975);the Chinese chemotype has been shown to be rich in myrcene, 2-undecanone,limonene, and decanoyl acetaldehyde(Liu and Deng 1979). A tricoloredform splashed with red, green, and white is sometimes sold underthe cultivarname "Chameleon."Both the Chinese and Japanese chemotypes are cultivated by the Vietnamese. Houttuyniacordata,an herbaceousperennial,does best in a semi-shaded,moist location. It is hardy to at least USDA plant hardiness Zone 5, although it dies down to the groundat the first frost. Four bracts subtend each inflorescence,but superficiallythe inflorescences resemble white buttercups borne on 10-15 cm stems. The cordate leaves of H. cordata are necessaryas a garnish for fish stew and, accordingto some, boiled fertilizedduck eggs (Hot VinL6n), which are not eaten until 3 d before they hatch. Even so, some Vietnamese consider the aroma a bit too strongand preferto avoid the use of the herb altogether.The Chinese sometimes eat this herb in salads (Li 1973). This plant is also used medicinally in southeasternAsia (Duke and Ayensu 1985; Perry 1980). Piperaceae
La L6t, Piper lolot C. DC.

The glossy cordate leaves of P. lolot can be used to impart a delicate flavor to roast beef or to a type of shish kebob. The leaves are firstdipped in boiling water to keep them from burning;they are then wrappedaround small pieces of beef, securedwith a toothpick, and placed on a skewer.Piper lolot is also used medicinally in southeasternAsia (Perry 1980). Piper lolot, a very tender perennial vine, can be easily carried over in the greenhouse. Polygonaceae
Rau Ram, Polygonum odoratum Lour.

Often pronounced "zow-zam," this herb is widely sold in the U.S. under the name "Vietnamesecoriander."The odor is that of fresh corianderfoliage with a hint of lemon. Polygonum odoratum is used to garnish meat dishes, especially fowl, and is also eaten with duck eggs. This is one of the ingredients of Du'a Polygonumodoratumis also used meCan, a pickled dish resemblingsauerkraut. in southeasternAsia and is sometimes employed as an anaphrodisiac dicinally (Perry 1980).

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This is a tender perennialwith red stems and green lanceolate leaves marked with red and closely resemblingthe Europeanwater-pepper(Polygonum hydropiper L.) (Steward 1930). Rarely, especially after the plant is subjected to a late fall chill and then moved to the greenhouse,spikes of pink flowersare produced. Propagationis usually by cuttings,and roots are producedeasily from the nodes. This herb desires a rich, moist soil in semi-shade, although full sun is tolerated if abundantmoisture is provided. Convolvulaceae Rau Muong, Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. This relative of the morning-gloryand sweet potato, listed by the USDA as a potentially obnoxious weed (Reed 1977), is widely distributedin the Old World tropics in wet sites (Austin 1980; Edie and Ho 1969; Herklots 1972). A tender perennialvine, it is easy to grow if given enough water; it roots easily from the nodes. Two cultivarsare cultivated in Hong Kong: "ChingQuat" ("greenstem") is cutivated on dry soil; "Pak Quat" ("white stem") is germinatedon dry soil and then transplantedto wet soil (Edie and Ho 1969). Small purple or white flowers, resemblingmorning-glories,sometimes develop. The large,hastateleaves are used in a varietyof stir-frydishes from southeastern Asia to impart a mild sweet taste with a hint of onion. Ipomoea aquatica is also cultivated in China for use as a vegetable in pork dishes under the name of weng cdi (Duke and Ayensu 1985; Edie and Ho 1969; Li 1973). The Malay name, kangkung,is encounteredin variousforms in southeasternAsian languages(Herkis lots 1972). Rau Muo6ng availablefrom one U.S. seed company as "greenengtsai or kancon or Chinese convolvulus" and one Canadian seed company as "water spinach." This plant is also used medicinally in southeastern Asia (Duke and Ayensu 1985; Perry 1980). Apiaceae Ngo Gai, Eryngiumfoetidum L. The Vietnamese name Ngo Gai means thorny coriander,which aptly refers to the caulescent spinosely-serrateleaves (Krahulikand Theobald 1981) scented of corianderfoliage. The essential oil of E. foetidum has been shown to have 2,4,55-dodecanone, and 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylacetphenone trimethylbenzaldehyde, (Yeh 1974). Though native to the New World from Vera Cruz to Panama and the West Indies (Mathias and Constance 1941), Ngo Gai is now widespread throughout tropicalAfrica and Asia (Burkill 1935; Krahulikand Theobald 1981). This plant may be treatedas a biennial or short-lived perennial.Propagationis most readily accomplishedby seeds. The use is similarto that of corianderleaves in Vietnamese dishes. The plant is also used medicinally in southeasternAsia and known as jid yuan qidnin China (Duke and Ayensu 1985; Perry 1980). Othernames include ketumbarjawa, kankong kerbau,and juruju gunong in Malaysia;katumbarlonda, katumbar mungsi, tumbar mungsi, tumbaran,and jintenan in Java; balang katunchar, katuncharwalanda, katuncha walang, singa depa, walang anjing, walang

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duri, walanggeni, walang katunchar,and walang china in the Sunda Islands;and pak chlfarang in Thailand (Burkill 1935). Rau Cdn, Oenanthejavanica (Blume) DC. This stoloniferousperennialis a delicious substitutefor celery, which it closely resembles in appearance.Tasting like celery and carrot leaves, it is far easier to grow than celery and can be maintained around the year if cultivated in the greenhouse.Oenanthejavanica (0. stoloniferaRoxb. ex DC.) prefersa wet situation, but it will also grow in moist garden loam. Rau Can is hardy to Zone 7. Propagationis primarily by the abundant stolons, although seeds may also be used. It is used as a salad herb and eaten raw, or it may be steamed with rice. The essential oil of the leaves contain 117 identified components (Watanabe et al. 1979). The essentialoil of the floweringtops, which contains 67.5%dillapiole and 13.6%/-phellandrene(Gedaet al. 1979;Sharmaand Singh 1980), is antifungal (Sharmaand Singh 1979) and antibacterial(Sharma et al. 1980). Oenanthejavanica is also used medicinally in southeasternAsia (Duke and Ayensu 1985; Perry 1980). Oenanthejavanica is well known in India, where it is called ghora-ajowan (Sharmaet al. 1980). In Japan it is known as seri and employed in soups, salads, and sukiyaki(Yashiroda 1968). In China it is known as shul qin, ch'in-ts'ai,shuiying, or ch'u-k'ueiin both red and white forms (Duke and Ayensu 1985; Li 1973). It is also cultivatedin southeasternAsia and Hawaii (Herklots1972), whereknown as shelum, selom, or piopo in Malaysia;pampung,pangpung,or seladrenin Java; lawm in Thailand (Burkill bambungor tespongin the Sunda Islands;and pak chT 1935). Lamiaceae Can DaiyLa, Plectranthusamboinicus(Lour.) Spreng. This plant is available in the U.S. herb trade as Coleus amboinicus Lour. (C. aromaticus Benth. in Wall.), Cuban oregano, or Puerto Rico oregano. While probablya native of India (or possibly Africa),it is widely cultivated throughout the tropics, from Africa,India, Malesia, and the Philippinesto the VirginIslands, Cuba,and Mexico. OtherEnglishnames are Spanishthyme or Indian borage,but around the world, names are encounteredsuch as pathor chur,pater chur, owa, in or pashana blediin India;tramun,daun djinten,or terbangun Sumatra;adjeran, atjeran, daun djinten, daun kutjing, iwak ira, surawung,bangun bangun, daun in hati hati, sukan, terbangun,daun kambing,or madja nere'ng Java; iwak in Bali; golong djinten potjo in Flores; kuwu etu in Timor; and clavo, limon, oregano, torogil de limon, bildu, latai, or suganda in the Philippines (Burkill 1935; Foster and Foster 1972; Keng 1978; Merrill 1937, 1938). This species of Plectranthusis a semi-shrubbytender perennialbearingfleshy leaves that are hirsute above to lanate-tomentose below (Cramer 1981; Keng 1978). The odor is of a pungent oregano, and indeed the essential oil is rich in 60.1-63.8% carvacrol and 3.3-20.6% /-caryophyllene (Bos et al. 1983; Tucker and Maciarello 1987). amboinicusis used in Vietnamese meat dishes and stews. In some Plectranthus

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parts of India, the leaves are fried in batter. In other cuisines it is employed in the same manner as Greek oregano (Origanum vulgareL. subsp. hirtum (Link) letswaart).This plant is also used medicinally in southeasternAsia (Perry 1980). Tia T6, Perillafrutescens (L.) Britton Tia T6 is actually a selected variant of the familiar beefsteak plant or perilla. This cultivar bears large flat leaves that are green above and purple below. Tia T6 is used almost exclusively in Vietnamese cuisine as a salad herb or garnishing herb. In JapanP. frutescensis known as shiso, and the purple-leavedcultivarsare used to color apricots, gingers, and tubers of Japanese artichoke;the leaves are also used as a spice for bean curd or as a garnish for tempura;the flower spikes are used in soups or fried; and the seedlings are used as a spice for raw fish (Yashiroda 1968). In China this herb is known as bdi su zi. Many medicinal uses exist in southeasternAsia (Duke and Ayensu 1985; Perry 1980). The essential oil of P. frutescens leaves is primarily composed of 0.3-69.2% 0-11.4% /-pinene, and 0-10.4% /-ionone perillaketone, 0-16.0% naginataketone, (Nabeta and Sugisawa 1983). Perilla ketone, however, is a potent lung toxin (Wilson et al. 1977), and prolonged skin contact with perilla produces contact dermatitis (Okazakiet al. 1982). This annual is very easy to grow, reseedingitself prolifically. Scrophulariaceae Rau NgO,Limnophila aromatica (Lam.) Merr. Rau Ngo is an emergentaquatic that prefersmud and a film of standingwater. It can be usuallyobtainedin bunchesin Orientalgroceriesand is easily recognized by the whorlsof threeleaves. Look for stems that are alreadyrooted if propagation is planned. Although the plant is difficultto cultivate, the unique floral odor of the leaves is well worth the effort.This is a sine qua non for several Vietnamese sweet and sour dishes, particularlya soup made with tamarindsand cantaloupe. This herb is also known as Rau Om or Ngo Om in southern Vietnam. In Malaysia it goes under the names of beremi, beremi hutan, kerak kerak, kerak nasi puteh, rumputjari,rumputjarilipan, sebueh,and sebuehbatu (Burkill 1935; Philcox 1970). Some medicinal uses for this herb are listed for China, where it is known as shufffurong (Duke and Ayensu 1985). Miscellaneousherbs Some of the most popularVietnamese herbs are too well known in this country to requiremuch comment. From the Liliaceae, garlic chives (Allium tuberosumRottler ex Spreng.) and leeks (He or Tbi Tdy, Allium porrum L.) are most often used. Malabar spinach (Mong To'i, Basella alba L.) of the Basellaceae isused as a potherb, as is Jew's mallow (Rau Day, CorchorusolitoriusL.) of the Tiliaceae. sativumL., Apiaceae)are often used for Leaves of coriander(Ngo, Coriandrum their distinctive odor of stink bug (Chlorochroa sayi). From the Lamiaceae,mint and basil are often used. The mint most commonly

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used by the Vietnamese is Mentha spicata L., spearmint, or sometimes Mentha x gracilis Sole, or Scotch spearmint. The form of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a cultivar that is anise-scented and has purple bracts. Several names are used for mint and basil, often interchangeably and in a very confusing fashion. Another labiate, Elsholtzia ciliata (Thunb.) Hyl., Rau Kinh Gio'i, is used for its flavor of lemon balm, but is not often encountered in stores. Capsicum peppers (O't) of the Solanaceae are ubiquitous. Paederia scandens (Lour.) Merr. (La Mo', P. tomentosa Blume, Rubiaceae) is employed mostly as a medicinal herb, but is occasionally encountered in culinary applications. Leaves of the edible chrysanthemum, or chop suey greens (Rau Cuc, Cdn 6, or tan 6, Chrysanthemum coronarium L., Asteraceae), are to be found in nearly every grocery store catering to Vietnamese. Seeds are relatively easy to find, usually under the South Vietnamese name, T7dn0.
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of Coleus aromaticusBentham and their importance as a component of the Species antiaphthosae Ph. Ned. Ed. V. Pharm Weekbl. Sci. Ed. 5:129-130. Burkill, I. H. 1935. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford. Cramer, L. H. 1981. Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Pages 108-194 in M. D. Dassanayake and F. R. Fosberg, eds., A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. Vol. 3. Smithsonian Inst., Washington, DC. Duke, J. A., and E. S. Ayensu. 1985. Medicinal plants of China. Reference Publ., Algonac, MI. Edie, H. H., and B. W. C. Ho. 1969. Ipomoea aquatica as a vegetable crop in Hong Kong. Econ. Bot. 23:32-36. Foster, P. W., and B. Foster. 1972. Puerto Rican oregano. Amer. Herb Grower 25(3):2-3.

Geda, A., M. M. Bokadia,and R. K. Thappa. 1979. Chemicalinvestigationsof Oenanthestolonifera

Wall. Indian Perfumer 23:63-64. Herklots, G. A. C. 1972. Vegetables in south-east Asia. Hafner Press, New York. Keng, H. 1978. Labiatae. Pages 301-394 in C. G. G. J. van Steenis, ed., Flora Malesiana 8(3). Sijthoff & Noordhoff Intern. Publ., Alphen aan de Rijn, The Netherlands. Krahulik, J. L., and W. L. Theobald. 1981. Umbelliferae. Pages 479-499 in M. D. Dassanayake and F. R. Fosberg, eds., A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. Vol. 3. Smithsonian Inst., Washington, DC. Lane, H. U., ed. 1986. The world almanac and book of facts 1986. Newspaper Enterprise Assoc., New York. Li, S.-c. 1973. Chinese medicinal herbs. Transl. F. P. Smith and G. A. Stuart. Georgetown Press, San Francisco. Liu, Y.-l., and Z.-f. Deng. 1979. Investigation of the chemical constituents of the essential oil of

HouttuyniacordataThunb. Acta Bot. Sin. 21:244-249.

Mathias, M. E., and L. Constance. 1941. A synopsis of the North American species of Eryngium. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 25:361-387.

Merrill,E. D. 1937. Coleusamboinicus,suganda.Addisonia 20:11-12, pi. 646.

1938. Suganda: an interesting aromatic herb. Herbarist 4:5-9. Nabeta, K., and H. Sugisawa. 1983. Volatile components produced by callus tissues from three Perilla plants. Pages 65-84 in G. Charalambous and G. Inglett, eds., Instrumental analysis of foods, Vol. 1. Academic Press, New York. Ngo, B., and G. Zimmerman. 1986. The classic cuisine of Vietnam. New Amer. Libr., New York. Okazaki, N., M. Matsunaka, M. Kondo, and K. Okamoto. 1982. Contact dermatitis due to beefsteak plant (Perilla frutescens Britton var. acuta Kudo). Skin Res. 24:250-256.

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Perry,L. M. 1980. Medicinalplantsof east and southeastAsia: attributedpropertiesand uses. MIT Press,Cambridge,MA. Pham-HoangHo and Nguyen-van-Du'o'ng. 1960. Cay-c6Mien Nam Viet-nam.Khoa-hQc Dai-hoc, Saigon. Philcox, D. 1970. A taxonomic revision of the genus LimnophilaR.Br. (Scrophulariaceae). Kew Bull. 24:101-170. Reed, C. F. 1977. Economicallyimportantforeignweeds:potentialproblemsin the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 498. Sharma,S. K., and V. P. Singh. 1979. Antifungalstudy of the essential oil of Oenanthejavanica Blume. DC. Indian Drugs 16:289-291. . 1980. Biochemicalstudy of a medicinalplant Oenanthe , and javanica Blume DCVolatile oil and fixed oil. Indian Drugs& Pharm.Industr. 15:25-26. , and R. R. Bhagwat. 1980. In vitroantibacterial effectof the essentialoil of Oenanthe javanica (Blume)DC. IndianJ. Med. Res. 71:149-151. Steward,A. N. 1930. The Polygoneaeof easternAsia. Contr.Gray Herb. 88. Tucker,A. O., and M. J. Maciarello. 1987. Plant identification.Pages 126-172 in J. E. Simon and L. Grant,eds., Proceedings the firstnationalherbgrowingand marketing of conference,Purdue Univ., West Lafayette,Indiana,July 19-22, 1986. V. Tutupalli,L. V., and M. G. Chaubal. 1975. Saururaceae. Compositionof essentialoil from foliage of Houttuyniacordataand chemosystematicsof Saururaceae. Lloydia 38:92-96. Watanabe,I., T. Yanai, S. Tamogami,M. Nakamura,and T. Habu. 1979. Volatile componentsof seri (OenanthestoloniferaDC). VII InternationalCongressof Essential Oils, October 7-11, 1977, Kyoto, Japan,p. 442-445. Wilson, B. J., J. E. Garst,R. D. Linnabary, and R. B. Channell. 1977. Perillaketone:a potent lung toxin from the mint plant, PerillafrutescensBritton.Science 197:573-574. Yashiroda,K., ed. 1968. Japaneseherbs and their uses. P1.& Gard. 24(2). Yeh, P.-H. 1974. Essentialoils XVI. Oil of Eryngium foetidum Linn. J. Chin. Chem. Soc. 21:139147.