La lot
라롯
ⓒ
Photo: Sam P Mathew · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)
A shiny, heart-shaped leaf that's a relative of pepper. In Vietnam, seasoned beef is rolled in these leaves and grilled over charcoal, and in Thailand various ingredients are wrapped in the leaf and eaten in one bite.
Flavor and aroma
- It has a gently sharp, peppery taste.
- Grilled, it gives off a nutty, fragrant aroma.
Fun facts
- In English it's called "wild betel," but it's a different plant from betel (Piper betle), which is chewed as a stimulant. It's milder than betel, so it's used in cooking.
- Its Thai name is cha plu, and in Malay it's kadok.
- It's in the pepper family (Piperaceae), the same as black pepper.
In the kitchen
Salads
- In Thailand, Malaysia and Laos, fresh leaves are shredded into salads.
Cooking
- Add it to curries and chicken soup.
Grilled
- Mix ground beef (or pork) with lemongrass, garlic, shallot and fish sauce, roll it in the leaves and grill. This is Vietnamese bò lá lốt, eaten with rice noodles, herbs, peanuts and sauce.
Wraps
- For Thai miang kham, top a leaf with toasted coconut, peanuts, lime, ginger, shallot and chili, add a sweet-salty sauce and eat it in one bite.
Goes well with
BeefPorkLemongrassFish saucePeanutsLime
Season
We're still checking the season. We'll add it once we find a source.
Details
- Korean name
- 라롯
- English names
- la lot, lolot pepper, wild betel
- Scientific name
- Piper sarmentosum
- Former scientific names
- Piper lolot (지금은 같은 종으로 봄)
- Family
- Piperaceae
- Genus
- Piper
- Other names and notes
- Thai: cha plu, Vietnamese: lá lốt
Show sources for this page
References for this herb
- Plants of the World Online(큐 왕립식물원)
- Pacific Pests
- Pathogens
- Weeds & Pesticides
- 호주 뉴사우스웨일스 농업부(NSW DPI)
- NParks(싱가포르 국립공원청)
- Saveur
- Rachel Cooks Thai
Name and classification
Photo
Sam P Mathew · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)