Thai and other Southeast Asian cuisines have become wildly popular in recent years. Pandan is one reason why.
Pandan, a tropical plant, has a gentle, sweet floral fragrance. Cab drivers in Vietnam use pandan leaves as air fresheners for their vehicles.
Aside from smelling sweet, pandan also heightens the flavor of many Asian rice, noodle and vegetable dishes, as well as desserts and marmalades. Native to South and Southeastern Asia, pandan comprises more than 600 species – any of which can be used in extracts and infusions and in many Asian and Thai dishes.
There is no waste with pandan: Every part of this interesting plant, including the leaves, can be used. The leaves can be juiced and used to flavor meats, or ground into a powder that offers a savory and sweet flavor with a grassy vanilla aroma and a hint of coconut taste.
In addition to its unrivaled culinary uses, pandan has many health benefits. It’s a rich source of beta carotene, fiber, iron, calcium and phosphorus. Pandan also contains vitamin A, which is important to eye health and to boosting iron deficiency, preventing anemia and regulating blood sugar.
Pandan may also have much to offer for an aging population. Pandan essential oils are rich in phytochemicals, leading researchers to suggest that pandan may relieve symptoms of arthritis and ease earaches and headaches. More research is needed, however.
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