Herbs
Lao Watercress
ຜັກນໍ້າ
Luang Prabang, Laos
River watercress grown in cold spring water in the north, eaten raw in salads or blanched alongside dips.
Original eatfuls sticker artwork
What it is
A closer look at Lao Watercress.
River watercress grown in cold spring water in the north, eaten raw in salads or blanched alongside dips.
What to look for
Know it when you find it.
Luang Prabang salad is built on it, with tomato, egg and a peanut dressing. Look for short, dark leaves rather than long stems.
Where it belongs
Origins and
traditions.
Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Lao Watercress.
Names around the table
One food, more than one name.
Keep exploring
If this caught your eye…
Australia
Aniseed Myrtle
Native rainforest plant with aniseed flavour, used in teas, desserts, and as a spice, strong aniseed aroma with fresh leaves, a rare native gourmet ingredient.
Armenia
Aveluk
Ավելուկ
Wild mountain sorrel gathered in spring, plaited into long ropes and dried, then rehydrated for soup and salad through the winter.
Ethiopia
Besobela
በሶበላ
Sacred basil — an Ethiopian basil variety with a clove-and-pepper aroma, central to niter kibbeh and many wot. One of the signature herbs that gives Ethiopian food its unmistakable perfume.
Colombia
Cilantro Cimarrón
A wild cilantro variety from the Colombian Pacific, with long, serrated leaves and a strong, aromatic flavor. Used in Pacific soups, stews, and tapao.
Dominican Republic
Culantro
A Dominican herb (culantro/recao) with long, serrated leaves and a strong, aromatic cilantro-like flavor. Used in sofritos and stews, a key seasoning.
Ethiopia
Gesho
ጌሾ
A buckthorn shrub whose stems and leaves are used to ferment and bitter Ethiopian tej (honey wine) and tella (beer). Gesho plays the role hops play in beer — without it, there'd be no Ethiopian fermented drinks.
Greenland
Angelica
Qajaliusaq
Arctic angelica; a wild herb used to infuse water and flavor dishes; carafes of angelica-infused water are served at kaffemik gatherings; a traditional Greenlandic herb; a key ingredient in New Arctic Kitchen cuisine.
Greenland
Mountain Sorrel (Seernaq)
Mountain sorrel (seernaq), a lemony Greenlandic herb eaten fresh or cooked with fish and seal.