Patrick Oconnell
Pandan is an aromatic plant native to Southeast Asia and is widely used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines. It is known for its distinctive colour and sweet, grassy, vanilla-like floral notes with hints of rose, almond, and coconut. The plant's leaves are used to add a unique taste and aroma to both savoury and sweet dishes, including desserts, drinks, and cocktails. While pandan is commonly associated with tropical flavours, it does not taste like cheese.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Taste | Grassy with hints of rose, almond, and vanilla, verging on coconut |
| Flavor | Sweet |
| Color | Green |
| Aroma | Sweet floral fragrance |
| Culinary uses | Used in smaller amounts to wrap meats, flavor rice, and in desserts |
| Health benefits | Contains minerals like protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and fiber |
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What You'll Learn
- Pandan's unique flavour is sweet and grassy with hints of vanilla and coconut
- It is used in both savoury and sweet dishes, including desserts and drinks
- Pandan is available in different forms such as fresh, frozen, dried, powdered, or as a liquid flavouring
- It is used in small amounts but is packed with nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, and fibre
- It is widely used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines, especially in countries like
Pandan's unique flavour is sweet and grassy with hints of vanilla and coconut
Pandan is a tropical plant in the Pandanus (screwpine) genus, commonly known as pandan. It is widely used in South and
Pandan is particularly well-suited to coconut milk-based desserts. For example, its bright green extract can be incorporated into a crepe-like batter, then stuffed with sweetened browned coconut to make an Indonesian dessert called dadar gulung. In Thailand, pandan is used to make sangkaya bai toey, a popular street snack that combines pandan and coconut milk to create a fragrant custard.
Pandan is also used in savoury dishes, such as pandan chicken, a Thai dish where chicken parts are wrapped in pandan leaves and fried. The leaves are also used to enhance the flavour of rice dishes, such as biryani and sweet coconut rice pudding. In Sri Lanka, pandan is grown in almost every household and is used to add aroma to curry dishes.
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It is used in both savoury and sweet dishes, including desserts and drinks
Pandan is an aromatic plant with a sweet floral fragrance and a unique flavour profile. It is native to Southeast Asia, where it is widely used in cooking. The plant's long, deep-green leaves are used to impart a distinctive colour and flavour to both savoury and sweet dishes, including desserts and drinks.
Pandan leaves can be purchased fresh, frozen, dried, or powdered, and are used in a variety of ways. They can be tied in a knot and added to a pot of rice or curry, or used to wrap meats or sticky rice before steaming or frying, infusing them with a unique taste. The leaves can also be juiced, boiled, or blended to make pandan juice or pandan water, which can be served with ice. Additionally, pandan leaves can be boiled and ground into a highly nutritious paste that is a staple food in some parts of the world.
Pandan extract is another popular way to incorporate pandan into dishes. The extract is made by grinding the leaves with water and then straining the mixture, and it can be added to liquid ingredients to impart a distinct layer of flavour. Pandan paste, made by pounding fresh leaves into a paste, is also commonly used as a flavouring. Both the extract and the paste will turn dishes a bright green colour.
Pandan is often used in desserts, where it is commonly paired with coconut or coconut milk. It is used to make Indonesian desserts such as dadar gulung, a crepe-like batter stuffed with sweetened browned coconut, and martabak manis, a sweet folded pancake common in Indonesia that is stuffed with cheese. It is also used in traditional coconut milk pudding, chiffon pandan cake, and pandan pancakes. In Thailand, pandan is used to make a popular snack called sangkaya bai toey, which consists of flavoured custard served with steamed cubes of white bread or freshly fried cruller sticks on the side. Kueh dadar (a pandan-flavoured crepe) and kueh salat (a pandan-coconut custard on top of a layer of sticky rice) are popular street snacks in Singapore and Malaysia.
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Pandan is available in different forms such as fresh, frozen, dried, powdered, or as a liquid flavouring
Pandan is a tropical plant that is widely used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines. It is also featured in some South Asian cuisines, such as Sri Lankan cuisine, and in Hainanese cuisine from China. The plant is characterised by its fragrant, pointy leaves, which are used to flavour dishes. The leaves can be boiled, juiced, or used to wrap and flavour meats, while the fruit can be eaten raw or made into marmalade.
Pandan is available in different forms, including:
- Fresh: Fresh pandan leaves can be purchased from some Asian food stores and specialty markets worldwide, as well as online. They can be wrapped in a damp paper towel or plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator, where they will last for about four days.
- Frozen: Frozen pandan leaves can also be found in Asian food stores, specialty markets, and online. They can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
- Dried: Dried pandan leaves can be stored in the pantry and have a longer shelf life than fresh or frozen leaves.
- Powdered: Pandan leaf powder is made from pulverised leaves and is used to flavour both savoury and sweet dishes. It can be found in Asian markets and online.
- Liquid flavouring: Pandan extract is made by grinding the leaves with water and then straining the mixture. The resulting liquid has a strong, grassy flavour with hints of rose, almond, and vanilla, and can be used to flavour both sweet and savoury dishes. Bottled pandan extract is available in shops and online.
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It is used in small amounts but is packed with nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, and fibre
Pandan is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia, where it is widely used in cooking. It has a unique flavour that is hard to compare to other ingredients, although it is sometimes described as grassy with hints of vanilla and coconut. It is also used in small quantities due to its strong flavour.
Pandan is available in many forms, including fresh or frozen leaves, powder, extract, and paste. The leaves are commonly boiled, juiced, or used to wrap and flavour meats, while the fruit can be eaten raw or made into marmalade. The leaves are also often pulverized to produce a bright green extract, which is used to add natural colouring and nutrients to a dish.
Pandan is packed with nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is a good source of vitamin A, which is essential for eye health and may help prevent cancer. It also contains carotenoids, a type of antioxidant that can reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, early research suggests that pandan may help control blood sugar levels and provide fast cooling action for minor burns.
The plant is also used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments. For example, oils made from pandan extract are rich in phytochemicals, which can relieve arthritis symptoms and headaches. The leaves are also used to create a topical ointment for joint pain and to treat minor burns and other skin problems.
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It is widely used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines, especially in countries like Thailand
Pandan, or screwpine, is widely used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines, especially in countries like Thailand. It is a tropical plant prized for its long, blade-like leaves that grow in fan-shaped bunches. The leaves are used to add a unique flavour and aroma to both sweet and savoury dishes. While the leaves are inedible, they are infused or cooked with other ingredients to impart their soft, sweet fragrance and green hue.
In Thailand, pandan is used in the popular dish gai hor bai toey, where boneless chicken is marinated in a blend of oyster sauce, sugar, garlic, and other aromatics, and then wrapped in pandan leaves before being grilled or steamed. This dish is also known as pandan chicken in the Philippines. In Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, pandan is used to make a delicious coconut jam called kaya, which is commonly spread on toasted bread and served with coffee. The jam is made by cooking down sugar, coconut milk, eggs, and pandan leaves, resulting in a deep green spread.
Pandan is also commonly used in desserts, often paired with coconut. In Indonesia, pandan is used to make dadar gulung, a crepe-like dessert made with a batter infused with pandan extract and stuffed with sweetened browned coconut. A similar dessert, called kuih dadar or dadar galung, is also popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. This dessert consists of a pandan-coconut crêpe filled with palm sugar-coated coconut.
In the Philippines, buko pandan is a popular dessert or beverage. As a dessert, it is a blend of bright green pandan jelly, buko (coconut) strips, and sweetened cream and condensed milk. As a beverage, it is a type of cool drink with gelatinous mix-ins, including buko strips, pandan jelly, tapioca pearls, and coconut milk or water. Another popular Filipino dessert made with pandan is puto, a small bite-sized rice cake that is light, chewy, and subtly sweet, sometimes adorned with cheese or salted egg.
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Frequently asked questions
Pandan is described as having a grassy vanilla flavour with hints of rose, almond, and coconut. It is also said to have a sweet, floral fragrance.
Pandan is used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is often paired with coconut milk and sticky rice. Pandan leaves are used to wrap savoury foods, such as chicken or sticky rice, and are also added to tea, curries, soups, and baked goods.
Pandan is said to be high in iron, protein, calcium, phosphorus, and fibre. It is also used in non-Western medical practices to treat arthritis and inflammation, blood sugar, and oral health.
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