PIPER sarmentosum - BETEL LEAVES - Chaa phluu, phok puu noo, phak phiuu nok, pblug ring, ye-thoei (Thai), LA LOT (Vietnamese)
Herbaceous plant, creeping or erect, up to 60 cm high,  Cultivated in India and SE Asia as spice and medicine. In Thailand the young leaves are eaten raw or cooked. They are used raw to wrap ginger, peanuts, roasted coconut meat, dried shrimp, chilli, shallots, lime and, sweet coconut meat sauce to make miang kam bai chaa phluu, a kind of snack. The leaves are also mixed in khaao yam, blanched as a vegetable or put into curries.  See also a Vietnamese recipe.  The whole plant is a carminative. The roots or fruit help to cure dysentery, while the crushed roots and leaves are combined with salt to ease toothaches.  Available all year but best purchased in warmer months.

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