Fresh herbs at the center of Vietnamese cuisine

Where once the local selection of Vietnamese herbs was sparse, today a wide variety is available at markets in Southern California.

By Andrea Nguyen
July 15, 2009

At this time of year, like many cooks, I'm obsessed with fresh herbs. But you can keep your Genovese basil, French tarragon and Italian parsley; for me the magic is in the leafy aromatics of the Vietnamese table -- red perilla, garlic chives and rice paddy herb, to name just a few. I grow the herbs in my garden as well as purchase them by the bunch at farmers markets and Asian markets to ensure that I savor as much as I can during their peak hot-weather season.

Fresh herbs are essential to Vietnamese cuisine; their flavors and perfumes enliven countless foods. Pinched off their stems or chopped, raw leaves are tucked into rice paper rolls, dropped into hot soup, mixed into cool salads, stir-fried with noodles and wrapped up with grilled morsels in lettuce. Vietnamese people enjoy large quantities of fresh herbs, and in fact, herbs are collectively known as rau thom, which means "fragrant vegetable."



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Recipe: Rice noodles with Chinese chives, shrimp and pork (banh pho xao he)
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Photos: The Vietnamese plate: A closer look at herbs
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Where to find herb seeds and plants

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Consider their role in pho noodle soup: The ubiquitous national dish of Vietnam depends on the last-minute addition of herbs, without which the flavors would seem off and the dining experience would feel incomplete.

Heady beef pho, redolent of star anise and cinnamon, benefits from the bright notes of chopped cilantro that the cook sprinkles atop the hot broth right before the bowl leaves the kitchen. Then at the table, there are more herbs involved as diners add their personal touches with torn leaves of Thai basil, culantro or mint; dropping in extra herbs while working toward the bottom of the bowl is fine too.

Fresh herbs are integral to the layering of flavors in Vietnamese cuisine, as well as the "have it your way" Vietnamese dining philosophy.

Aside from contributing to the symphony of flavors in the mouth, some fresh herbs aid digestion, while others are Vietnamese folk remedies for fever, colds and headaches. When you combine the herbs with chiles, spices and aromatics such as ginger, galangal and turmeric, which all boast their own health benefits, you have a potent phytochemical mix.

When my family settled in Southern California in 1975, the only herbs we recognized at the supermarket were cilantro, mint and the occasional sprig of dill. That worked OK because cilantro and mint are the herbs used most often in the Vietnamese repertoire.

My family of seven went through a couple of bunches a week for salads, soups and rice paper rolls. When dill was available, the feathery tops were used for favorites such as canh rieu ca, a traditional everyday soup featuring fish, tomato and a final flourish of raw garlic and dill.

Today, with Southern California's robust Vietnamese American community and increased interest in ethnic cooking, the variety of herbs available here includes all the major ones traditionally and currently enjoyed in Vietnam. Between now and late fall, Vietnamese and Chinese markets are flush with herbs.

For a culinary adventure, go to one of Orange County's Little Saigon markets on a Saturday, when the clamorous crowds and food smells recall the real Saigon. In the produce section, locate the usual suspects, cilantro and mint. Nearby, you might see bunches of a spicy mint called hung cay (Mentha x. gracilis) whose delicate, round-shaped leaves belie their eye-popping flavor.

Equally bracing are the spade-shaped leaves of fish mint (Vietnamese name diep ca, botanical name Houttuynia cordata), also called bishop's weed, which give a tangy, pungent edge to boldly flavored food such as grilled beef with lemon grass. Cilantro lovers will revel in spear-shaped Vietnamese coriander (rau ram, Polygonum odoratum), which lends its peppery cilantro backbite to Vietnamese soups and salads; rau ram is also popular in other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Malaysia and Singapore, where it is called daun kesom and daun laksa.

Japanese and Korean food aficionados will recognize the large serrated leaves of red perilla (tia to, Perilla frutescens) as a member of the shiso family. Vietnamese cooks favor a variety with leaves that are purple-garnet underneath and green on top and that offers hints of cinnamon, mint and lemon.

Verdant Vietnamese balm (kinh gioi, Elshotzia ciliata) is my favorite Vietnamese herb, its delicate saw-edged, fuzzy leaves have an uncommon lemon grass- or lemon verbena-like quality. The assertive flavors of these two herbs stand up well to grilled meats and are terrific additions to rice paper rolls, lettuce wraps and bun rice noodle bowls.

Asian markets often sell the more delicate herbs already packaged. For example, clove-scented Thai basil (hung que, Ocimum basilicum var.) and thorn-edged slender leaves of culantro (ngo gai, Eryngium foetidum), both wonderful with pho, are typically under plastic wrap on Styrofoam trays.

Small plastic bags often hold charming rice paddy herb (rau om, Limnophila aromatica), its stems and small rounded leaves packed with citrus and cumin notes that pair well with curries and tamarind-inflected seafood soups. Heart-shaped wild betel leaf (la lot, Piper sarmentosum ), classically paired with beef, is either on Styrofoam trays or in small bunches.

Peruse the leafy greens section to find large bunches of flat, long green blades of Chinese chives (he, Allium tuberosum). Hard-core Vietnamese cooks tuck a few raw chives into their goi cuon rice paper rolls to add a mild garlicky bite. During the summer when Chinese chives are abundant and very well-priced, I harvest and purchase humongous bunches to stir-fry with flat rice noodles, pork and shrimp, a childhood favorite of mine.

The chives are used throughout East and Southeast Asia, so you'll encounter them at many Asian markets.

Vietnamese cuisine is not one to stand still for long, and in recent years, Vietnamese Americans longing for the tartness of star fruit have found a worthy substitute in sorrel (rau chua, Rumex acetosa), and enjoy it with grilled and fried foods. In Vietnam, tender stalks of cutting celery (rau can, Apium graveolens) that resemble Italian flat-leaf parsley have recently appeared on the scene as a pungent addition to favorites such as crisp lotus stem salad.

The overseas Vietnamese community is slowly adopting these practices and you will encounter the nontraditional herbs at several Little Saigon markets.

Even without going to an Asian market, you can find Vietnamese herbs if you hunt a bit at farmers markets. For example, at the Wednesday and Saturday Santa Monica farmers markets, Coleman Farms offers several kinds of mint, including a variety they call Vietnamese mint.

Bill Coleman and his wife, Delia, sponsored three children from Vietnam and he is very knowledgeable about and interested in Vietnamese herbs. Coleman Farms has cultivated and sold rau ram along with many kinds of Southeast Asian basil for years.

In the mid-1990s they sold three varieties of shiso, but now only offer the green and red shiso, reflecting popular interest in Japanese cooking.

"We used to grow Vietnamese tia to but no one wanted it. I'd grow it again if enough people ask," Bill said.

He also suggested checking with Hmong farmers who often have zippy lemon basil, which isn't frequently used in Vietnamese cooking though I like to chop up the fuzzy pale green leaves for spicy Asian slaws and green salads. Hmong farmers are also a great source for gorgeous lemon grass stalks, which you can trim and freeze for cooler months.

When buying plants, try to connect with the vendors for more secrets. For example, I've had difficulty with rice paddy herb (rau om). I used to cover the container with a plastic bag to create a tiny greenhouse but eventually scorched the poor plant.

This year when I bought new starter plants, the Viet grower did something remarkable -- he lined the gallon plastic container with a thin produce bag to partially flood the plant and mimic Southeast Asia's wet growing conditions. His new trick seems to be working.

This year, I have a bumper crop of rice paddy herb and in addition to using it for traditional Vietnamese fare, I have experimented by including it in tabbouleh, quinoa and guacamole. One friend even suggests imbuing mojitos with Vietnamese balm.

When it comes to Vietnamese herbs, there's a world of possibilities.

food@latimes.com

Lime and Chilli Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)

Ingredients


1 small red chilli finely chopped
1 small clove of garlic finely chopped

1 tablespoon of sugar

3 tablespoons of fish sauce (nuoc mam)
3 tablespoons of water

½ small lime squeezed





Directions

In a mortar grind the chilli, garlic and sugar to a paste.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well

Store in the refrigerator in a tightly closed bottle

Ideal for Vietnamese spring rolls and salads.

Vietnamese Cuisine

Of all Asian cuisines, Vietnamese cuisine at first glance seems a rather plain, most dishes require few ingredients, and the cooking methods are mainly just steamed, boiled, blanched, and braised, and yet to achieve the perfect taste for that dish, and to assemble a balanced meal require the loving attention of an artist.

Years ago, I used to own a Vietnamese restaurant in Anaheim, California, a couple miles from Disneyland. but remains the least understood, and because of that perhaps even the most appreciated.

Vietnamese cuisine has had many influences including French Indian and Chinese. The French influence that is often evident in Vietnamese soups is due to the French colonization of Vietnam, which began in the 16th century and ended in the middle of the 20th century. While The Indian influence is probably due to the Buddhist religion which is popular thought much of Asia.

As in much of Asia, a Vietnamese meal is rarely divided into courses. All the food is served at once and shared from common dishes. The food is well prepared and therefore chopsticks are used. Meals revolve around rice or noodles and accompany a soup, a stir-fry, and another main dish.

Vietnamese cooking is generally not as rich or heavy as the coconut milk curries, of, say, Thailand or India. Fish are abundant to Vietnam therefore seafood is central to Vietnamese cuisine. The distinct flavors of Vietnamese food come primarily from: mint leaves, coriander, lemon grass, shrimp, fish sauces, star anise, ginger, black pepper, garlic, basil, rice vinegar, sugar, and green onions.

The Vietnamese also eat curries but they are less spicy than Indian or Thai curries. Vietnamese curries get their taste mainly from coriander, and chili is used in very small quantities.

Popular dishes worth trying include "Pho Bo" a noodle soup and "cha gio" which are spring rolls that are low in fat.

Famous for its lively, fresh flavors and artfully composed meals, Vietnamese food and cooking is the true 'light cuisine' of Asia. Abundant fresh herbs and greens, delicate soups and stir-fries, and well-seasoned grilled foods served on, or with, rice or noodles are the mainstays of the Vietnamese delicacies. Even the beloved sweets for snacks or desserts are often based on fresh fruits served with sweetened rice or tapioca. Rarely does any dish have added fats.

While the Vietnamese cuisine relies on fresh vegetables, subtle seasonings and rice, Vietnamese cooking also reflects its Chinese and French influences and it has numerous regional difference; in the south, look for plentiful fresh seafood and in the colder north, you'll find slightly heartier meals with beef. In central Vietnam, around the ancient royal capital Hue, the food may contain influences of the former court cooks.

But regardless of the region, home-style Vietnamese cooking calls for an array of simple dishes that make complementary partners at a family's communal meal. Dinners customarily call for a soup, probably a platter of leafy greens accompanied by rice papers and a dipping sauce, seafood or grilled meats or poultry, a vegetable stir-fry, and rice or noodles in some form - with hot tea as the preferred beverage. While such meals may look complex to outsiders, most dishes come together easily, and some call for advance preparation to avoid last-minute conflicts. And, as in any type of cooking, planning ahead makes putting together meals much easier.

Modern cooks with well-equipped kitchens and handy appliances will find preparing a Vietnamese meal both rewarding and relatively easy. And with the widespread popularity of Asian recipes and foods, locating ingredients is not a challenge as most supermarkets carry such basics as fresh ginger and spring onions, lemongrass and chilies, even coconut milk and Asian noodles.

The topical monsoon climate of most of Vietnam, the land and the freshwater and inshore fishing contribute to bring the Vietnamese staples to the table: rice, nuoc mam, fish, fruits and vegetables, pork and poultry. Rice is the most important food, present at all main meals but close in use and importance is the condiment added to most dishes at all times: nuoc mam. This is made from salt and fish well fermented. The first liquid produced is the best quality nuom mam; the result of pressing the remaining fish and salt (stronger flavor and more pungent smell) is of lower quality. Inland fishing is less costly than deep-sea, but every type of fish and seafood is enjoyed in the Vietnamese diet. Both wild and cultivated fruits are abundant and consumption of vegetables has increased since North Vietnam refugees brought market garden culture to the southern "rice bowl". Both meat and fats come from hogs, although some chicken, beef, small animals and reptiles are also eaten. Almost as widely used as nuoc mam is the spicy hot condiment nuoc cham, each cook preparing it in her own special way with chili peppers, garlic and onions, vinegar and a sprinkle of citrus juice to heighten the tang.

The northerners prefer long grain rice, the southerners round grain rice. Both areas also enjoy "hot-pot cookery" where a bubbling pot of broth centered on the table receives tidbits of foods held by chopsticks for quick-cooking. At meals, diners assemble their own tidbits of meats, fish, fruits and vegetables and then wrap them in packets of edible rice paper, various green leaves, noodle dough, all to be sauce-dipped before devouring. Although many similarities have been noted between the two groups, northerners and southerners insist not only upon their rice preference, but that southerners enjoy more spiciness, the use of more fresh fruits and raw vegetables, simpler dishes and a lot of coconut. They will tell you this is because of their more tropical climate. However, while northerners consider the southern food something less than subtle, the southerners may counter that they think the northerners' food is too flat.

Vietnamese Salad

Ingredients

• 2 stalks fresh lemon grass
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 2 oz, each leftover roast beef, pork, lamb, or chicken, finely shredded
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
• 1 bunch green onions, washed and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely grated
• 1 red chili pepper, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced and crushed
• 3 tbsp. Nuoc Mam sauce or 2 tbsp. Maggi liquid seasoning mixed
• 9 tbsp. lime juice
  
  Directions

  1. Lightly hit the sliced lemon grass with back of a cleaver or heavy knife to release the flavor and smell. Mix the lemon grass with leftover meat then add the green onions and toss well. Mix in the grated carrot.
  
  2. Mix together the chili, garlic, Nuoc Mam sauce, and lime juice, and stir well. Add to the salad and toss well. Throw in the basil and cilantro, and toss again. If you think you need more salad dressing, add equal parts of Nuoc Mam sauce and lime juice.