Pandan (P. amaryllifolius) leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking to add a distinct aroma to rice and curry dishes such as nasi lemak, kaya ('jam') preserves, and desserts such as pandan cake. Pandan leaf can be used as a complement to chocolate in many dishes, such as ice cream. They are known as daun pandan in Indonesian and Malay; and 斑蘭 (bān lán) in Mandarin. Fresh leaves are typically torn into strips, tied in a knot to facilitate removal, placed in the cooking liquid, then removed at the end of cooking. Dried leaves and bottled extract may be bought in some places.Throughout Oceania almost every part of the plant is used, with various species different from those used in Southeast Asian cooking. Pandanus trees provide materials for housing, clothing and textiles, food, medication, decorations, fishing, religious uses and the manufacture of Dilly Bags (carrying bags). Most important are the mats, which are handwoven from the dried leaves.
Pandan is said to be a restorative, deodorant, indolent and phylactic, promoting a feeling of wellbeing and acting as a counter to tropical lassitude. It may be chewed as a breath sweetener or used as a preservative on foods. It is also said to have flavonoids which are believed to have a variety of healthful properties, including antiviral, anti-allergen, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant.[citation needed]
Cockroaches tends to dislike the smell of pandan leaves. In Asia, a car infested with cockroaches can generally be rid of the cockroaches by leaving a handful of fresh pandan leaves overnight in the vehicle.
Vernacular names
- Chamorro: åkgak (P. tectorius), påhong (P. dubius), kafo', paingut, akå'on
- Chinese (Cantonese): Baan laahn, Chan heung laahn, Chat yihp laahn, Heung lahm tauh
- Chinese (Mandarin): 班兰 (班蘭) [bān lán], Chen xiang lan, Qi ye lan, Xiang lin tou
- Czech: Pandán
- Danish: Skruepalme
- Dhivehi (Maldivian): Kashi'keyo
- Dutch: Schroefpalm, Pandan
- English: Pandanus, Screwpine, Umbrella tree, Screw tree
- Estonian: Lõhnav pandan
- Finnish: Kairapalmu
- French: Pandanus
- German: Schraubenbaum, Schraubenpalme
- Hawaiian: Hala
- Hebrew: הפאנדאנוס, Ha-pandanus (refers to entire genus)
- Hindi: Ambemohor pat, Rampe
- Hungarian: Pandanusz levél, Panpung levél, Csavarpálma levél
- Indonesian: Pandan
- Italian: Pandano
- Japanese: Nioi-takonoki, Nioi-adan
- Kapampangan: Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius), Pandan Lalaqui (Pandanus utilis )
- Khmer: Taey
- Korean: Pandanusu (판다누스)
- Laotian: Tey Ban, Tey hom
- Lithuanian: Amarilinis pandanas
- Malay: Pandan Wangi
- Marshallese: Pob
- Persian: کادی (Kādì)
- Philippines: Pandan
- Polish: Pandan, Pochutnik
- Portuguese: Pândano (Brazil), Pándano (Portugal)
- Sāmoan: Fala
- Singhalese: Rampe
- Spanish: Pandan, Pandano
- Tagalog: Pandan, Pandan mabango, Bicolano dialect, Kalagimi (P. simplex), Alasas (P. radicans)
- Tahitian: Fara, Hinano
- Thai: ใบเตย, เตยหอม, เตย, Panae-wo-nging, Bai Toey, Toey-hom, Toey
- Tongan: Fā (plus many more names for different varieties, leaves, flowers, etc.)
- Vietnamese: Cây cơm nếp, Dứa thơm, Lá dứa, Cay com nep
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