Method
—Vietnamese mint (polygonum odoratum) is also known as Vietnamese coriander, and it’s sometimes referred to as hot mint, although it is not a true mint. It is also commonly called laksa leaf as it is the chosen herb for a bowl of laksa (spicy soup). Vietnamese mint is eaten fresh in salads and gives a nice hot bite, or added to soups or noodle dishes. It’s pungent, like coriander, with minty lemony notes and a peppery finish and oddly, hot and cool at the same time! It’s addictive and I often have to stop myself adding it to things. The spear-like pointed leaves are often blotched with a muddy red marking and it has a dull red stem. It grows like a weed as long as it is kept watered. Vietnamese mint is easy to propagate – buy a bunch at the market, select the fleshiest stems, pick off the big leaves, leaving the small ones intact, and stick the stems in loose soil, on an angle, ensuring any joints on the stems are covered in soil because the roots will sprout from these nodules. I didn’t learn this through trial and error, I picked it up off the net, and I’m pleased to say, it works! Like most mints – having just said it is not a true mint though it does share this characteristic – the roots should be contained because it happily spreads and will pop up all over your garden.
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