Pandan
PAN-dahn
Pandanus amaryllifolius
Grassy, vanilla, nutty, floral.
What it is
Pandan is the long, blade-like leaf of Pandanus amaryllifolius, a tropical Southeast Asian plant whose sweet, grassy aroma is often called the vanilla of the East. It carries notes of fresh-cut grass, vanilla, and toasted nuts, and it both flavors and tints food a natural green. Pandan is everywhere in Southeast Asian cooking, knotted into pots of rice and coconut milk, blended into cakes and custards, and used to wrap and scent grilled chicken. The leaf itself is removed or strained out, not eaten. Fresh or frozen leaves carry the aroma far better than dried.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: dishes outside Southeast Asian flavors.
Common in Thai cooking.
Whole vs ground
The long green blades are used whole: tied into a knot and simmered with rice or coconut, or blended and strained for their juice and color. The leaf is not eaten.
How to handle it
Knot a few leaves and add to rice or coconut milk while cooking, then remove. Blend with water and strain for a green, fragrant extract in desserts.
Storage
Keep fresh leaves refrigerated for a week or frozen for months. Freezing holds the aroma far better than drying.
Buying note
Buy bright green, fragrant fresh or frozen leaves. Pandan extract and paste are convenient but often artificially colored.
Classic dishes
pandan chiffon cake, coconut rice, kaya jam, pandan chicken.
Out of pandan? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| vanilla, for desserts | to taste | covers the sweet side, missing the grassy, nutty note |
One odd thing
Pandan is so central to Southeast Asian sweets that it is often called the vanilla of the East.