herb guide

Herbs are generally thought of as a garnish to top off a dish or something you add in judicious amounts to enhance the flavor of other vegetables or meat. In Vietnamese cuisine, however, herbs play a more central role and can even be the star of a dish. Many Vietnamese dishes, whether hot or cold, are often accompanied by an herb and vegetable plate. And when used in copious amounts in wraps, rolls, and salads, Vietnamese herbs tend to be treated more like a type of lettuce or leafy green. They become a key component to the dish, contributing the distinctive freshness that characterizes Vietnamese cuisine.

One of the ways my family gauges the quality of a Vietnamese restaurant is by how generous and varied the selection of herbs is. For example, I’m always happy to see sawtooth herb (aka culantro) alongside Thai basil at a pho restaurant. We like our herbs so much that, when I was a kid, my uncle actually had a habit of bringing along his own bag of Vietnamese herbs to this one restaurant his family frequented in Calgary. While I’d probably be too self-conscious to do something like that myself, I have to say it certainly made our meal a lot more enjoyable!

The following are some of my favorite Vietnamese herbs.

Spearmint (hung lui). This is the most common and easy to find herb at a typical grocery store. It also grows easily and will often overtake your garden if you don’t contain it. Spearmint is used more often in cold dishes rather than hot, like in salads, rolls, and vermicelli noodle bowls. It is also my default herb when some of the rarer types below are not available.

Fish mint (diep ca). In Chinese we call these “mouse ears” because of the shape of the leaves. But the Vietnamese name (and English translation) refers to this herb’s distinctively fishy taste, which can be an acquired taste for some, perhaps better paired with stronger dishes like grilled meat. It happens to be my favorite Viet herb, though, so I always include it in my wraps, rolls, and vermicelli noodle bowls.

Vietnamese coriander (rau ram). Also known as daun laksa in Malaysia and Singapore (where it’s used in the noodle soup laksa), this peppery herb I’ve come to associate with Vietnamese chicken salad. It’s also the accompanying herb to balut (boiled duck embryos). The leaves have a long, thin, pointed shape, sometimes with a darker purple center, and the taste is spicy and pungent.

Red perilla (tia to). This herb is related to the Japanese shiso used to wrap sashimi or mixed with salads. It’s also related to Korean perilla or sesame leaf used to wrap meats or mixed in salads. In Vietnamese cuisine, we use this in vermicelli noodle bowls, wraps, and rolls. I’ve also come to associate it with a black bean catfish dish my family makes.

Rice paddy herb (rau om). Named for the wet environment in which it grows, rice paddy herb consists of tiny leaves on short stems. It has a strong lemony cumin flavor and is an essential ingredient in Vietnamese sour soup.

Vietnamese Herb and Vegetable Plate
These are some of the common ingredients included in the herb and vegetable plate that often accompanies Vietnamese dishes.

For hot noodle soups:
lime wedges
bean sprouts
Thai basil
sawtooth herb, aka culantro (served with pho)
shredded banana flower (served with bun bo hue or bun rieu)
shredded water spinach stems (served with bun bo hue or bun rieu)

For wraps:
whole lettuce leaves
variety of Vietnamese herbs listed above — the more and varied, the better!
bean sprouts
cucumber, cut in spears or julienned
fresh fruit slices, such as pineapple, starfruit, and green banana
vermicelli noodles (bun) or noodle sheets (banh hoi)