Pandan Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. Pandanaceae [ Screwpine Family ] Origin: Southeast Asia An ingredient in the Southeast Asian kitchen valued for its subtle fragrance, the leaves of this screw pine species emits a lovely fragrance. It is often use to flavour rice and widely used to flavour sweet dishes much like vanilla . Up to about an arm's length, it is usually tied into a tidy knot and added whole to a dish. It is to be removed and discarded before serving. Used as a wrap, it imparts a wonderful aroma to food(eg pandan wrapped chicken), a species much larger in size is used as wrapper for the popular pandan wrapped Nonya rice dumpling in Singapore. (I have yet to see the plant in real life!) Photo: Pandan growing happily in a pot in my kitchen. The greenish juice squeeze from crushed leaves lack the fragrance present in the leaves, and is often used to give desserts a light green colour. Photo: Abandoned pandan patch in rural Singapore. It is a very popular back yard plant grown all over Southeast Asia. According to PROSEA(Plant resource of Southeast Asia), Pandan has never been found growing in the wild and the only flowering specimen comes from Moluccas, Indonesia. To grow, soak suckers or stem cuttings with aerial roots in water till new roots are established, then plant in a sunny spot and keep well watered. Storage: Pandan with stems and ariel roots attached could be kept for a long time in a pot of water. Leaves alone keep well in the fridge when properly wrapped to prevent moisture loss. It may also be frozen. Drying of leaves emits a strong aroma and is good as an insect repellent, used locally to keep crocroaches out of drawers and car booths. Other Screw Pines: Pandanus tectorius Pandanus chamissonis Pandanus douglasii Pandanus menziesii Pandanus odoratissimus A huge relative of Pandan standing at least 5 to 10 meters with prop roots can be found wild across the region including China and the Pacific islands. They have fruits which looks like pineapples. Pandanus odoratissimus is a species used in Northern India for the making of Kewra water (distilled from its flower) used to flavour dishes but not used in Singapore kitchen where the South Indian uses rose water which has a similar function. Called fake pineapple by the Chinese, the dried roots of Pandanus tectorius Sol are used in traditiona Chinese medicine. Photo: screw pine in Botanic Gardens and Sentosa Island, Singapore. back