
Why Every Home — No Matter How Small — Should Grow Vietnamese Coriander
You don’t need a large garden or even a yard to grow one of Vietnam’s most remarkable medicinal herbs: Vietnamese coriander, known locally as rau răm (Persicaria odorata).
Beyond its sharp aroma and spicy flavor, this humble plant has been treasured in traditional medicine for centuries — praised for its ability to stimulate digestion, improve circulation, fight infection, and detoxify the body.
Modern research now confirms what ancient herbalists already knew: rau răm is a natural powerhouse for wellness that thrives easily in any environment — even in a small apartment balcony.
🌿 Botanical Profile and Growth Habits
Vietnamese coriander is a tropical perennial herb that loves warmth, moisture, and sunlight. It can even survive in semi-flooded conditions, which explains why it grows abundantly across Southeast Asia.
The plant propagates through stem cuttings, rooting easily in soil or water — making it ideal for home cultivation.
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Scientific name: Persicaria odorata (formerly Polygonum odoratum)
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Common names: Vietnamese coriander, hot mint, laksa leaf
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Preferred environment: Partial sunlight, moist soil
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Growth note: Trim regularly to encourage bushy growth and prevent flowering (which reduces leaf flavor).
Even a small pot on your kitchen windowsill can supply your household with a steady source of fresh leaves all year long.
🌱 Nutritional and Medicinal Value
According to Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2018), rau răm contains a high concentration of essential oils (mainly aldehydes, decanals, and dodecanals) that exhibit antibacterial and antifungal activity.
It also provides:
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Vitamin A and C for immunity and skin health
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Flavonoids and polyphenols that help neutralize free radicals
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Minerals like calcium, potassium, and iron for muscle and nerve function
In traditional Vietnamese and Chinese medicine, rau răm is described as warm in nature, spicy in flavor, and used to dispel cold, improve digestion, and invigorate blood circulation.
🌼 Traditional Healing Uses of Rau Răm
1. 🌿 Improving Digestion and Relieving Bloating
Crush a handful of fresh leaves, squeeze out the juice, and drink it directly. The leftover pulp can be gently massaged on the stomach area to stimulate circulation and relieve abdominal discomfort.
→ Modern insight: The essential oils in rau răm act as carminatives, helping the body expel excess gas and ease indigestion (NCBI, 2022).
2. 🍃 Treating Common Colds and Fever
Combine 20 g rau răm with 3 slices of fresh ginger and steep in hot water. Alternatively, boil it with perilla (tía tô), lemongrass, and kinh giới to relieve chills and mild flu symptoms.
→ Why it works: The volatile oils provide a mild diaphoretic (sweat-inducing) effect that helps the body cool down and detoxify naturally.
3. ☀️ Heat Exhaustion and Sunstroke
When feeling dizzy or weak due to sun exposure, drink warm juice extracted from crushed fresh rau răm leaves. It helps restore body fluids and stimulates perspiration.
4. 🍽️ Loss of Appetite or Weak Digestion
Drink a mild decoction made from 10–20 g of the leaves after meals. This remedy stimulates gastric secretions and enhances appetite.
5. 💧 Skin Infections and Fungal Problems
For conditions like ringworm, eczema, or athlete’s foot, soak the whole plant in rice wine for 2–3 days. Apply the liquid directly to affected areas or crush the leaves into a paste and apply as a compress.
→ Research-backed: Extracts of P. odorata have demonstrated strong antifungal effects against Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum (PubMed, 2021).
6. 💓 Sudden Chest Pain or Palpitations
In traditional Vietnamese remedies, decocting 50 g of rau răm roots and adding a small amount of rice wine was believed to help stabilize circulation and relieve chest tightness.
(Note: For any heart-related symptom, seek immediate medical care before relying on herbal remedies.)
7. 💪 Muscle Pain and Bruising
Mix crushed rau răm leaves with a small amount of camphor oil and apply as a poultice to sore muscles or bruised skin. The warmth of the herb encourages blood flow and eases swelling.
8. 🐍 Snake Bites (Folk Emergency Use)
Traditionally, rau răm juice was used to treat venomous bites in remote rural areas — the juice was consumed, and the pulp applied directly to the wound.
While this folk remedy exists, modern medicine strongly advises seeking hospital treatment immediately for any venomous bite.
9. 👣 Athlete’s Foot or Sores on the Feet
Apply crushed rau răm directly to affected skin twice daily. Its natural antiseptic oils help keep wounds dry and prevent secondary infections.
⚠️ Health Precautions
While rau răm is safe in moderate amounts, overconsumption may cause side effects due to its “warming” nature in traditional medicine:
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Eating too much may cause internal heat or dryness, leading to fatigue or skin irritation.
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People experiencing fever, inflammation, or menstrual bleeding should limit intake.
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Folklore and limited studies suggest rau răm may reduce libido when consumed excessively — a reason it’s said to be used by Buddhist monks to calm physical desires (Healthline Asia, 2023).
→ Safe use guideline: 10–15 g fresh leaves (about one small handful) per day is sufficient for dietary or medicinal use.
🌿 Why You Should Grow It at Home
Even if you live in a small apartment, growing rau răm offers multiple benefits:
✅ Air-purifying plant: Its essential oils release a subtle fragrance that repels mosquitoes and bacteria in humid climates.
✅ Convenient fresh herb: Always available for cooking and herbal teas.
✅ Low maintenance: Requires minimal soil, thrives in recycled containers, and grows year-round in tropical or indoor light.
✅ Cultural heritage: Growing rau răm connects urban dwellers with Vietnamese traditional wisdom about self-care and natural medicine.
As the World Health Organization (WHO, 2023) notes, “Integrating traditional herbal knowledge with modern preventive health practices enhances resilience and wellbeing in everyday life.”
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