Piper sarmentosum is a plant in the family Piperaceae used in many Southeast Asian cuisines. The leaves are often confused with betel, but they lack the intense taste of the betel leaves and are significantly smaller. Piper lolot is now known to be the same species. Under this name it is cultivated for its leaf which is used in Lao and Vietnamese cuisine as a flavoring wrap for grilling meats, namely the thịt bò nướng lá lốt in Vietnam.
Names
There is no "official" English name for it, but it is sometimes called wild betel. It is known as chaphlu or cha phlu in Thai; phak i leut or pak eelerd in Lao; and pokok kadok in Malay. In Vietnam, the local name of Piper lolot - lá lốt - is applied to P. sarmentosum also. It is also known as lolot pepper. In Vietnamese it is called lá lốt. In Khmer, it is called japloo ចាព្លូ, in Thai chaphloo ชะพลู, in Lao phak ee lert ຜັກອີ່ເລີດ.
Description
This plant is a perennial herb with creeping rhizomes, and a striped stem that grow to 40 cm high. Its leaves are thin, heart-shaped, and 8–10 cm long and 8–11 cm wide, with 5 main veins from the base of the blade, oil glands on the upper surface, and finely pubescent veins on its under side. Its petioles are 2.5–3 cm long. Erect white spikes of 1–2 cm long emerge at the axils.
P. sarmentosum leaves are sold in bunches and are usually eaten raw.
In Thai cuisine, the leaves are used to wrap miang kham, a traditional snack; they are also one of the ingredients of the Kaeng khaecurry of Northern Thailand. The curry is named after these leaves, which are known as khae in Northern Thailand.
In Vietnamese cuisine it is grilled in bò nướng lá lốt, a typical Southern Vietnamese dish. Minced beef is marinated with seasoning, soya sauce and various finely chopped spices such as garlic, onion and lemongrass then wrapped in Piper lolot leaves and grilled, which brings smokey flavor to the beef. It is served with rice noodles, fresh herbs, sliced star fruits and pineapples, and fermented fish sauce mắm nêm
The practice of wrapping meat in vine leaves originated in the Middle East, which was taken to India by the Persians. It was subsequently introduced by the Indians to Southeast Asia. However, grape vines do not grow well in tropical climates, so the Vietnamese started to use leaves of lolot instead. It is native to the Indochinese region and recently introduced to the United States by Lao and Vietnamese immigrants. It is also used for medicinal purposes, to relieve a wide range of symptoms from inflammation to snakebites.
Traditional medicine
P. sarmentosum leaves are used in traditional Asian medicines. Chemical analysis has shown the leaves contain the antioxidantnaringenin. Amides from P. sarmentosum fruit have been shown to have anti-tuberculosis and anti-plasmodial activities.
