Besides the indoor plants, herbs and spices is another houseplant that should be recommended to everyone for home gardening. Why the herbs and spices should be recommends instead of the other flowering plants for home gardening? First, it is more environmentally friendly choice. Herbs and spices are edible and we will not spraying pesticides if it is for self consumption. Therefore, it could be the food sources of the insects like bees and butterflies. Second, we usually buy the culinary herbs and spices that imported or transported far from our living place and create a lot of carbon footprints. If we plant it ourselves, we could get it just from the house and greatly reduce the food mileage. Like the others plants, herbs and spices could produce oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide. Herbs and spices could clear the pollutant in the air and help to improve our air quality too. Most important, herbs and spice could be used as culinary herbs and many other medical uses for treating minor health issues. Let us explore the common usage of different kind of herbs and spices now!

1)Thai Basil/ Sweet Basil

Taste of Thai basil is a bit like the taste mix of anise and liquorice. It is widely using in South East Asia cooking like pho (phở), banh xeo (bánh xèo) in Vietnam, Thai basil chicken and green curry etc. Besides that, sweet basil is widely used in western foods cooking too, for example spaghetti and topping on pizza. Drinking the basil tea is believed could stimulate the oral health, skin’s health, detoxify the body and help regulate the diabetic symptoms. We may chew on the basil leaves which contains natural antibacterial and antiviral properties in them. Or drinking the basil tea to preventing bad mouth smells and other oral diseases. Basil is containing antioxidants compounds like camphene may help in reduce inflammation and improve the overall health of the skin. Basil have been study could decrease blood sugar level in people with diabetes. Regular consumption of basil tea may keep the diabetic symptoms under control.

  
Basil contains Vitamin A Vitamin K, Iron, Manganese, Calcium and essentials oils. Some more, it has antioxidants, including beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. However, all these valuable compounds will leave the herbs during the process of drying. So, consume fresh basil leaves whenever possible to get the most of them. And the easiest way to get the fresh basil leaves is plant a pot of basil at home!

2)Kesum (Assam laksaLeaves) (Polygonum minus/ Persicaria minor)/ Vietnamese Coriander/Knotweed

Kesum leaves has long, thin, pointy leaves with smooth edges. The taste is like the mixture of the smell of citrus, mint and spice. Kesum leaves is one of the ingredients used in the famous Penang Laksa, Nasi kerabu and Assam Pedas fish in Malaysia. In the Vietnam, it is also served with sea snail and shellfish. Kesum leaves have antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant, antiviral, cytotoxic and cytoprotctive properties. Kesum decoction used as the traditional medicine for remedy of indigestion, constipation, flatulence, as a remedy for various types of stomach pains. 

3)Peppermint/ Spearmint/Gingermint

Peppermint has bright green leaves with pointy and slightly serrated edges with strong and spicy smell. It is widely using as flavour for candy and sweets. It is commonly use in Vietnamese cuisine. They adding mint leaves to fresh roll (gỏi cuốn) as complimentary flavour to the pork and shrimp wrapped in the roll. It is also common to see the mint leaves appear in the basket of fresh herbs which commonly served in Vietnam’s food stalls. Besides that, mint leaves tea also commonly takes as beverages for removing bad smell mouth and cure for indigestion problems, cold and flus.

Spearmint have similar function with peppermint. However, the smell of spear mint is milder and more delicate compare to peppermint. Its leaves have darker green, more rounded and more deeply serrated margin compare to the peppermint. Spearmint is commonly using to flavour lamb and put in the cocktail drinks, mojito.

Taste of ginger mint is similar to spearmint and it has darker green leaves with less serrated edges leaves compare to the spearmint and peppermint. It is widely use as addition to lemonade, hot chocolate and make it as tea. It is work well as garnish and add to the cooked foods like tomatoes or raw foods like melons and salad. It has some traditional health benefits, it used as an antiseptic, antispasmodic and helps in digestive issues. In the past, ginger mint also used as a strewing herb to keep the mice out of the house!

4)Vietnamese mint Kinh gioi/ Vietnamese Lemon Balm

Vietnamese mint Kinh gioi resemble the smell of minty lemon balm and it could be used as substitution for the flavour of lemon balm. It is widely used in Vietnamese dishes like Vietnamese summer rolls, salads, fish, chicken dishes and garnishes in noodle soup such as bún bò Hue. It is believed has soothing properties for skin and drinking as tea or use in steam bath.

5)Perilla/Shiso leaves8

Perilla leaves aka Shiso leaves belongs to the family of mint leaves also. The taste of Shiso leaves like the combination of taste of basil and mint leaves. It is widely using in different countries dishes like Japanese eat the Shiso with sashimi, Korean eat with meat and make it as kimchi and in Vietnam it is also eaten raw in a variety of soups, salad and meat dishes.

6)Mugwort

Mugwort is widely using as traditional medicine for relieving women’s irregular periods and other menstrual problems. Besides that, in the Chinese traditional medicine for foots bath to repel the dampness in the body. Problem of dampness in the body is believed as the cause for a number of digestive problems like, low appetite, diarrhea, colic, constipation, travelsickness, stomach acidity. It can be make as skincare products like lotion to ease the itchiness of burn scars. Mugworts is also use in cooking and making desserts. For example, mugwort mochi, Korean mugwort soup (ssukguk) and Japanese Mugwort pancake (Yomogi).

If you have set up a herbs and spice corner in your house. Then you may take it and use it anytime when you want to cook something special for your friends and family. Planting herbs and spices is easier than what you think. So, don’t hesitate anymore, start to planning your herbs and spices garden at home now!