Vietnamese balm

Elsholtzia ciliata · Herb

40 pairings

Vietnamese balm (Elsholtzia ciliata), known in Vietnam as kinh giới, is a soft annual herb of the mint family whose bright, serrated leaves carry a distinctive lemon-and-cumin fragrance with an anise edge. It is a mainstay of the northern Vietnamese herb plate, eaten raw alongside noodle soups, grilled meats and fresh rolls, and steeped as a cooling tea.

Picking a good onedrag

Just cut, leaves flat and standingBlackened, limp and sour at the tie

Market freshUse it raw and late - the lemon-cumin is volatile and fades fast with heat. Pile it whole on the herb plate, or tear it into the bowl off the heat.Everyday best

Where it came fromYour own plant, grown from food-grade seed

The leafGreen, the odd edge beginning to curl and soften

Stem and cut endStem still stiff, cut end drying brown

Rub a leafClear lemon-cumin, anise quieter, comes on a bruise

What to look for, from just cut, leaves flat and standing to blackened, limp and sour at the tie.

Preparing