Rau Ram Rau ram is the Vietnamese name
for a sprawling herb in the buckwheat family
known in English as fragrant knotweed, and
now as Vietnamese cilantro. Polygonum
odoratum is a native of Southeast Asia whose
leaves mix the aromas of coriander and lemon
with a slightly peppery taste. It’s often paired
with mint, and eaten fresh with many foods.
Rice-Paddy Herb Rice-paddy herb is an
aquatic plant in the snapdragon family,
Limnophila chinensis ssp. aromatica, a native
of Asia and the Pacific islands, whose small
leaves are used in Southeast Asian fish dishes,
soups, and curries, especially in Vietnam. It
has a lemony but complex aroma produced by
small quantities of a citrusy terpene and the
main ingredient of perilla (perillaldehyde).
Rose Flowers Roses, mainly from the
Eurasian hybrid Rosa x damascena, have been
used for millennia from the Middle East
through Asia, usually dried or in the form of