Long before wheatgrass juice became a health and juice bar trend, the Vietnamese have been drinking nuoc rau ma (Vietnamese pennywort juice).
Pennywort (centella asiatica) is a member of the carrot and dill family. It is also known as gotu kola in the Sri Lankan Sinhalese language. There are numerous health benefits, according to Wikipedia and Asia Food, which include maintaining youthfulness, purifying the blood, curing nervous conditions, improving eyesight and memory, and relieving arthritis pain. Tai chi chuan master Li Ching-Yuen apparently lived to 256 years old, in part because of pennywort.
I couldn't find any Vietnamese tales of pennywort's greatness. I just know it's healthy and I've enjoyed drinking nuoc rau ma for as long as I can remember. But how does it taste you ask? A little grassy. Maybe a bit like cucumber water. Not quite minty, but with an underlying herbal freshness flavor. I can't quite describe it because it doesn't taste like anything else. I think, like cilantro, pennywort is a love or hate it herb. My preferred method of ingesting pennywort is as a fresh drink. I've also sometimes made it into a light soup.
I couldn't find any Vietnamese tales of pennywort's greatness. I just know it's healthy and I've enjoyed drinking nuoc rau ma for as long as I can remember. But how does it taste you ask? A little grassy. Maybe a bit like cucumber water. Not quite minty, but with an underlying herbal freshness flavor. I can't quite describe it because it doesn't taste like anything else. I think, like cilantro, pennywort is a love or hate it herb. My preferred method of ingesting pennywort is as a fresh drink. I've also sometimes made it into a light soup.
Rau ma is readily available at almost any Vietnamese restaurant. Although you can find it available in cans at the grocery store, it tastes worlds better fresh. And it's super easy to make at home. It's a swamp herb that likes moisture, so if you grow watercress, you can grow pennywort.
Otherwise, look in your local Asian grocery store, preferably Vietnamese since I'm not sure how popular this is with other Asians, to see if they have it in stock. Pennywort leaves go bad fast so make the drink within a day or so of buying them. The recipe is so simple that you can easily make a big pitcher to leave in the fridge. I'm not sure how long it lasts because frankly, it doesn't last very long in my house. And now that I know its reported health benefits, maybe I should drink even more. :)
Otherwise, look in your local Asian grocery store, preferably Vietnamese since I'm not sure how popular this is with other Asians, to see if they have it in stock. Pennywort leaves go bad fast so make the drink within a day or so of buying them. The recipe is so simple that you can easily make a big pitcher to leave in the fridge. I'm not sure how long it lasts because frankly, it doesn't last very long in my house. And now that I know its reported health benefits, maybe I should drink even more. :)
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