Persicaria odorata

Characteristics
Persicaria odorata, commonly known as Vietnamese coriander or Vietnamese mint, is an herbaceous tender perennial of the knotweed family that typically grows to 6-18” tall. It is native to Southeast Asia. Leaves are used extensively in Vietnamese cooking to flavor soups, stews, and salads. Leaves have a coriander-like smell and a spicy, pungent, hot peppery flavor. Additional common names for this plant include rau ram, Laska leaf, Cambodian mint, daun kesom, phak phai and chi krasang tomhom.
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Morphology

Leaves
The lance-shaped to lanceolate-ovate (intermediate between lance- and egg-shaped) leaves are green with red markings. The margins and veins are lined with long hairs.

Flower
Campanulate white flowers (each to 1 1/4” long) bloom in late summer, but bloom infrequently occurs in cool climates.

Stems
eddish-green stems are clad with broad-ovate to triangular-ovate green leaves (2-4” long) which are spotted with chestnut-hued markings.
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Plant part used
Leaves
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Traditional uses
Food (Herb and Spice: In Singapore, the leaves are used to add flavor to the popular laksa dish (a spicy noodle soup in a coconut milk or sour asam base). This herb is especially popular in Vietnamese cuisine where it is added to salads, seafood, duck eggs, and turtle/ frog dishes. The flavor has been described as a blend of lemon and coriander with a radish aftertaste.)

Medicinal uses
The juice is taken internally to treat snake bites
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List of country
Indochina (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia)
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Red List Category
Not Assessed Yet

• https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/2/3207
• https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=293779
• https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/31851