Eryngo (sawtooth coriander) (rau mui tau/rau ngo gai) sililar in taste to cilantro, with long sawtooth-edged leaves. Especilly delicious with fish and in sour tamarind dishes.

Heart-shaped leaves resembling ivy, tender with a sour undertone and a sharp and overwhelming fish taste.
Eaten raw, fish leaf makes a surprising addition to beef salads and other grilled meat dishes.
 

Lemon balm, Vietnamese (rau king gioi) Vietnamese lemon balm is stronger than Western lemon balm, tasting both of mint and fragrant citrus. Substitute perilla or peppermint.

Fresh mint is essential to Vietnamese cooking. The sprightly oval-and mottle-leafed peppermint is particularly popular as a table green, while the more delicate arrow-shaped spearmint is less so.

Mint, Vietnamese (rau ram) The ubiquitous and slightly fiery polygonum is often-but not always-idetified by a smudge-like blotch in the leaf’s center, and its astringent mint tang. Its color ranges from green to purple. Occasionally called hot mint, laksa leaf or Vietnamese basil, it is actually not related to either mint basil.

Available in both red and green vairieties, although the red type prevails in Vietnam. Perilla is the common shiso leaf of Japanese cookery, ranging in leangth from 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) to 4 inches (10 cm). It is related to both basil and mint, hence, its wonderful adaptability.

Because of its heavy-flowering top, this is sometimes called “crab claw herb”. The small green oval leaves of this herb are slightly tart and the most prized. Pennywort also flavors a refreshingly cool drink
 

Shiny, dark green leaves about the size of ivy and innocuously mild. Add to stir-fries at the last minute. Use raw piper leaves to wrap individual portions of ground meat destined for charcoal grilling, or, conversely, to enfold bite-sized pieces of cooked meats. When unavailable, substitute blanched grape leaves. (See Glossary, page 123).

Small green leaves with a cumin scent and sharp citrus taste.

Also known as bean thread vermicelli ar glass noodles, these thin noodles are commonly made from mung bean starch or root starch. They are extremely tough, not brittle