Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Herb guide to Houttuynia along with all the Houttuynia containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.

e This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Houttuynia as a major herb flavouring.

Houttuynia, Houttuynia cordata (also known as Chameleon Plant, Chinese Lizard Tail, Fishwort, Heartleaf, Fish Mint and Fish Plant) is a perennial herbaceous plant and a member of the Saururaceae (lizard tail) family of flowering plants. It is a native of East Asia and can be found wild in a vast area ranging from Nepal via Thailand to Korea and Japan. The wild form of the plant (which is most commonly used as a herb has green heart-shaped foliage), though an attractive three-coloured variegated leaf variety has been developed which is grown as an ornamental plant in Europe and North America.



It is a low-growing plant with heart-shaped leaves and compound, hermaphroditic flowers. In its native ranges it prefers damp conditions in full or partial sun. Houttuynia typically grows to between 20 and 80 cm in height. The proximal part of the stem is trailing and produces adventitious roots, while the distal part of the stem grows vertically. The leaves are alternate, broadly heart-shaped, 4–9 cm long and 3–8 cm broad. Flowers, growing usually in Summer, are greenish-yellow, borne on a terminal spike 2–3 cm long with 4–6 large white basal bracts.



It is cultivated in Vietnam, where it is called giấp cá or diếp cá and is used as a leafy vegetable or as a herby garnish. In Japan it is used as an herb. In China, it is mostly used medicinally, though the roots are used as a vegetable. In India (particularly Assam) it is grown as a leafy green and as a root vegetable.



There are two main aromatic chemotypes of the plant (versions of the same plant with different aroma profiles). The Chinese/Vietnamese chemotype resembles coriander in its aroma, and the Japanese chemotype is characterized by a citrusy odour that is often compared with ginger. Many compare the fragrance of Houttuynia with raw fish (but I do not concur), though this is the reason for the common Vietnamese name of 'fish mint'. The taste is aromatic, very close to Vietnamese coriander, but with an astringent aftertaste. It is certainly a herb that divides opinion as regards to its taste.



The Japanese chemotype contains a range of flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides (afzerin, quercitrin, isoquer­citrin) and pyridine alkaloids; the essential oil was found to consist mainly of decanal (caprylic alde­hyde), do­decanal (lauryl alde­hyde) and 2-hen­decanon (methyl nonyl ketone). The volatile oil of the Chinese/Vietnamese chemotype has been found to contain myrcene, 2-hendecanon, limonene and decanoyl acetaldehyde (3-keto­dodecanal). This last compound has been found to possess potent antibacterial activity and also accounts for the plant's characteristic flavour.



The English names: fishwort, fish mint and heartleaf refer to the plant's supposedly strong odour and the heart-shape of the leaves. A parallel name being the Chinese yuxing cao [魚腥草] (literally 'fish-stinking herb').



The variegated 'chameleon' variety of the plant makes an interesting addition to summer salads.