Herbs are a funny sort of plant family . Like “ yield , ” the meaning of “ herbaceous plant ” is dissimilar depending on if you are talking to a botanist , a nurseryman or a chef . To a botanist , an “ herbaceous ” flora is merely a plant life without woody stems that persist yr after year or through the season . This definition would leave off rosemary , salvia and thyme , which are some of the finest exemplars of herbs to gardeners and chefs alike .
So in babble out about some of my favorite Asian “ herbaceous plant , ” I ’m using a strictly culinary definition of the term . In this case , an herbaceous plant is only a plant that has a potent flavor and is , accordingly , used in little quantities for seasoning solid food or form Camellia sinensis .
1. Vietnamese Coriander (Persicaria odorata)
This plant is also call Vietnamese mint and Vietnamese cilantro , but all are misnomer , as it ’s not a type ofmint , cilantro or coriander . However , if there ever was a flora that smelled perfectly of coriander seed parting , it would be this one .
Vietnamese coriander ( pictured above ) has a knobby , semi - succulent appearance , and the blade - like leaf are often variegated with purpleness . They can be eaten impudent , or cooked .
get the plant readily from cuttings , and overwinter it as a houseplant , as it ’s a tropical mintage .
2. Lemongrass (Cymbopogonspp.)
An interesting affair about lemon grass is that its odor mimicker honeybees ’ attractant pheromone , which the worker bee use to call forager bee back to the hive . I ’ve been using an infusion of this citrus - scented Mary Jane to render to bait a cloud of honeybees into my newly builttop - bar beehive . But for those not apiculturally disposed , you could apply lemongrass in a extensive raiment of Asiatic dishes .
3. Shiso (Perilla frutescensvar.crispa)
Shiso is a member of the mint family and a staple of Japanese cuisine . Whole leafage are often used to hold wasabi , while source and sprouts can also be eaten in various forms . It amount in ruby , purple and green change , and in the temperate geographical zone , can be cultivated as an annual out-of-doors or as a perennial if involve in . Owing to its vibrant colors and often frilly go forth , shiso makes both a beautiful and practical gain to an herbaceous plant garden .
4. Kaffir Lime Leaf (Citrus hystrix)
This tropical citrus fruit yields small , lumpy fruit , but it ’s actually the leaves that get the most exercise as an herb . They ’re often dry and contribute to dishes like hustle - shaver or curry . Becausekaffir limesare a semitropic or tropic tree , temperate - zone gardeners can only cultivate it in a pot and take it in for the wintertime . Being small - statured , it take well to growth in a container and can be keep small enough to hold out on a windowsill .
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