Herbs

Ordinary French parsley, PETROSELINUM CRISPUM, has been introduced to Laos and is used, but very little. What the Lao do use in large quantities is coriander, sometimes called ‘Chinese parsley’. This plant, CORIANDRUM SATIVUM, is known as phak horn pom.* Its leaves appear as a garnish in a large number of Lao recipes, and their strong flavour is often too much for Europeans and Americans. (Note, however, that many people who recoil from a dish heavily flavoured with coriander would appreciate it if only a very small quantity of coriander had been added.) Stems and roots may also be used. See the drawing below left.