Vietnamese coriander

Coriandre vietnamienne (rau răm)

What it is

It belongs to the knotweeds, not to the carrot family that gives us coriander, parsley and dill, and the difference shows in the heat that arrives behind the citrus. In Vietnam it is the leaf set beside a bowl of hot vit lon, and the story goes that monks were told to eat it to dampen desire.

In the kitchen

It goes into hot broth and keeps its perfume where coriander leaf would collapse, but it is far stronger — use about a third the volume you would of coriander. Strip the leaves off the knotted stem, which stays tough.

Goes with

Chicken Lime Fish sauce Shrimp Cabbage Peanut Egg Chili pepper

Same species

Water pepper (tade / benitade)

Also used with

Fish mint (diếp cá) Rice paper (bánh tráng)

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