To describe Vietnamese food would not be complete without the inclusion of herbs. The textures, flavors, scents and overall freshness that these herbs contribute to everyday Vietnamese dishes is what makes the cuisine stand alone.  Although herb use in other ethnic cuisines are common, it is Vietnamese cuisine that is usually most noted for it’s abundant and frequent use of unique & exotic herbs.  Eaten generously along side almost every meal, these fresh leaves & stems create a unique & delicious layer of flavor to the already dynamic simplicities of Vietnamese cuisine.  Raw herbs are torn, topped, tossed, rolled and/or wrapped into dishes ranging in anything from soups, rice & noodle dishes, sandwiches and spring rolls.  A few other herbs are used more for cooking in soups, braises, and grilled dishes.  If you are eating a Việt restaurant meal, it is guaranteed that there will be small herb strips  elegantly laced in your dish or abundantly adorning the traditional herb & lettuce plate.  The overall health benefits, garden jewels and beautiful visual displays of these herbs make them that much more appealing outside of the kitchen and dinner table.

         Some herbs found in Vietnamese dishes are common to other world cuisines and were readily available in North America long before the Vietnamese migration to America, such as spearmint, basil & dill.  For the other more exotic  ones, they slowly made their way to America by means that are not always clear. The most common belief by Việt families is that some of the more exclusive Asian herbs were introduced to America when South East Asian Immigrants, including the Vietnamese, fled their home countries and brought them over to The States.  Some of these herbs roots and seeds may have also been sent via mail, so over the years home gardens flourished with these plants.  Some of the very first Việt herbs sold in Vietnamese grocery stores in Little Saigon back in the early 80’s did, in fact, come from these home gardens.  As Vietnamese food evolves in America’s food scene, so does the incorporation of new herbs in more contemporary dishes.  As a result of the America’s “New World” influence, these different herbs are not commonly eaten in Việt-Nam, but rather, are gracing more modern Việt dishes. These new herbs create contemporary flair, flavor and excitement to a traditionally humble cuisine.

           Our obsession with herbs begins in our  garden, continues to the kitchen and ends with a happier and healthier belly. We share our all of our trials and tribulations to garden enthusiasts who are interested in growing them for their ornamental beauty & grand displays.  For the grazers, we provide our most current knowledge and advice on storage, prep and examples of  culinary uses of herbs found in Việt Cuisine in America.  There are a plethora of herbs found and used throughout Việt-Nam but not commonly used and found in Việt Grocery stores in America.  Those will be added at another time.  So for now, may your herb interests heighten your discovery to the world of Vietnamese flavors!

“Herb” vs. “Spice” vs.  “Vegetable?” vs. “Rau Thơm” ? -  Our consideration of the following  plants may be deemed  a non-herb by some.  With broad definitions from numerous sources ranging from botanists, herbalists and horticulturists, comparing the similarities and differences between the three tend to overlap.  Some may be categorized as a vegetable (greens), but because of their medicinal qualities and how they’re eaten, we consider them all to be worth discussing.  One simple and cohesive English definition can be found at: www.wikipedia.com/wiki/herb.   For Vietnamese definitions, the term “Rau” is the commonly used term to describe almost all edible leafy vegetation(greens).  By use of the word “thơm”, meaning aromatic or fragrant, “Rau thơm” interprets as “Fragrant greens”, meaning “Herbs” in general.  For almost every herb, names can vary tremendously depending on the different regions of Việt-Nam.  For sake of potential argument, the most common names are listed.   More detailed information on any of these herbs can  “Googled” with  the scientific name and a plethora of scientific and culinary information can be found.   Check it out and lets move on!