Herb
Vietnamese Mint
A tier
Vietnamese mint is a common English misnomer for Vietnamese coriander—not a Mentha mint, though cooling peppery notes mislead casual tasters. Expect cilantro-citrus heat, not spearmint sweetness. Useful search term in Australian and UK groceries. Cook as rau răm. Clarify for guests allergic to naming confusion that it is polygonum-family, not mint family.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
Australian RecipesFreshSaladSoup
Traits
CitrusEnglish MisnomerMint NameMisnamedNot MenthaPepperyRetail NameSame Persicaria
History
AU
Australian English popularised Vietnamese mint for the herb.
UK and Commonwealth shops adopted the mint misnomer.
Writers explained Vietnamese mint is not Mentha.
Labels sometimes dual-named mint and coriander forms.