This spring I came upon the shy looking Persicaria odorata at Swanson’s.  It was in a 3 or 4 inch pot and not looking too happy even though its red-marked stems and pointed leaves were still very pretty.  I always like to try growing new herbs and figured that I could probably find a good spot for it in the garden. Here is a picture of it taken today – after being in the garden for 2 months.

Vietnamese Coriander or Rau Ram

It’s about a foot tall now and just about as wide.  It gets about 4-5 hours of direct morning sun and bright shade for most of the rest of the day. I think if I cut it more it will spread more but I might just move it somewhere else.  It would certainly be a fragrant groundcover but not one you could step on.  The stems sort of spread out, then curve upward and stand upright.

I recently found a volunteer in another part of the back yard – this perennial will grow like a weed in Seattle.

Volunteer Vietnamese Coriander

Persicaria odorata is also called Vietnamese Coriander, Vietnamese Mint or Vietnamese Cilantro, and the Vietnamese name is Rau Ram.

I am going to try using it in a chutney I’m making tonight to put inside my banana leaf wrapped halibut that I will grill.  The taste is slightly bitter and citrusy, cilantro-like with a peppery after burn.  I can already tell a little goes a long way.  I’ll follow up in the comments with the results of the taste test.