Southeast Asia
Vietnamese Balm
Elsholtzia ciliata.
Local / Regional Names
Kinh giới (Vietnamese) – often mistaken for lemon balm due to visual similarity, though the two are unrelated plants (a naming/appearance hazard worth flagging).
Countries / Cuisines
Vietnam.
Flavor & Aroma
Lemony, more pungent and bitter than true lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).
Culinary Uses
Table herb served alongside noodle soups and other dishes as part of a fresh herb platter.
Classic Dishes
Bún đậu mắm tôm; various noodle soup accompaniments, often served alongside perilla.
Pairings
Perilla, mint, fish sauce dishes.
Timing
Use fresh, added at the table rather than cooked.
Storage
Fresh keeps about a week refrigerated.
Substitutions
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) as a visual/rough flavor approximation, despite being a genuinely different plant.
Cultural / History Notes
A clear visual name-identity hazard: foreign visitors and even some English-language sources mistake this for true lemon balm due to leaf similarity and the shared 'balm' association, despite the two being unrelated species.
Blend Cross-References
Not a blend component; used fresh.
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