On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 788

withcitronellal,whichgivesthemanintense,
fresh,lingeringlemon-greencharacterdistinct
from that of sweeter citral-flavored
lemongrass (with which it’s often cooked).
Citronellalisnamedforcitronella,itsoriginal
and main source, which is a sister species to
lemongrass(Cymbopogonwinterianus).
Nasturtium The flowers, leaves, and
immature fruits of the familiar South
AmericannativeTropaeolummajorallhavea
pungency like that of watercress, and enliven
salads.
Nightshade Nightshade is a relative of the
potato,Solanum torvum, which grows into a
smallandshort-livedtree.It’sanativeofthe
West Indies, but is now found throughout
tropical Asia. Its small berry-like fruits are
intensely bitter, and are used in Thailand,
Malaysia,andIndonesiatocontributejustthat
qualitytosaucesandsalads.


Rau Ram Rau ram is the Vietnamese name
forasprawlingherbinthebuckwheatfamily
known in English as fragrant knotweed, and
now as Vietnamese cilantro.Polygonum
odoratumisanativeofSoutheastAsiawhose
leavesmixthearomasofcorianderandlemon
withaslightlypepperytaste.It’softenpaired
withmint,andeatenfreshwithmanyfoods.
Rice-Paddy Herb Rice-paddy herb is an

aquatic plant in the snapdragon family,
Limnophilachinensis ssp.aromatica,anative
of Asia and the Pacific islands, whose small
leavesareusedinSoutheastAsianfishdishes,
soups, and curries, especially in Vietnam. It
hasalemonybutcomplexaromaproducedby
small quantities of a citrusy terpene and the
mainingredientofperilla(perillaldehyde).
Rose Flowers Roses, mainly from the
EurasianhybridRosaxdamascena,havebeen
used for millennia from the Middle East
throughAsia, usually dried or in the form of