Home › Glossary › Limnophila Aromatica

Limnophila Aromatica

Q: Is Limnophila Aromatica natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Steam distillation of the aerial parts. Essential oil is not widely commercially available. Small-batch production in Vietnam and Thailand..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / fresh · aromatic · green

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	fresh · aromatic · green
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	Limnophila aromatica
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Cambodia, Vietnam
Pyramid	Heart

Vietnamese herb with a peppery, citrus-green bite. Bright as a lime leaf, complex as a spice rack.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Bright, peppery, and citrus-green. The first impressi on is a sharp herbaceous freshness -- more complex than cilantro, more peppery than mint. A lemongrass-like citrus quality runs through the center, with cum in-like spicy undertones. The overall effect is bracingly aromatic -- a Southeast Asian herb garden compressed into a single leaf.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Bright peppery-citrus burst, sharp herbaceous green

After a few hours

Softer herbal warmth, cumin-spicy undertones

After a few days

Faint herbal trace, quickly dissipating

Terroir & Transformation

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Limnophila aromatica is an aquatic herb native to the wetlands of Southeast Asia, known as rau om in Vietnamese cuisine. Despite sometimes being called Vietnamese coriander or Cambodian mint, it is neither -- it is a member of the Plantaginaceae family, distinct from both coriander and mint.

The plant thrives in flooded rice paddies, marshes, and riverbanks across Vietnam, Cambodi a, Thail and, and Indi a. Its leaves release a complex aromatic profile when crushed: fresh, peppery, and citrus-green, with qualities resembling lemongrass, cum in, and fresh-cracked black pepper simultaneously.

In perfumery, Limnophila aromatica is a niche curiosity rather than a standard ingredient. Its essential oil is not widely produced, but its aromatic profile offers an interesting alternative to conventional herbal-green notes for perfumers seeking unusual botanical sources.

This note in Première Peau. Simili Mirage · Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

—

Related: Alpha Pinene · Angelica · Angelica Root · Angelica Root Oil · Artemisia · Barrenwort · Beachheather · Behini Tree

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Rau om is essential to Vietnamese sour fish soup (canh chua ca) and is one of the fresh herbs served alongside pho. Unlike many culinary herbs, it grows best with its roots submerged in water -- a true aquatic plant that happens to be edible.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Steam distillation of the aerial parts. Essential oil is not widely commercially available. Small-batch production in Vietnam and Thailand.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture — key components: perillaldehyde (C₁₀H₁₄O), limonene (C₁₀H₁₆)
CAS Number	N/A — natural herb (no standard single CAS for essential oil)
Botanical Name	Limnophila aromatica
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	VIETNAMESE CORIANDER · CAMBODIAN MINT · HOT MINT
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Appearance	Pale yellow to amber liquid

In Perfumery

Limnophila aromatica functions as a heart note in herbal, green, and Asian-inspired compositions. Its unusual combination of pepper, citrus, and green herbaceous notes provides complexity not easily achieved with conventional materials. Useful in compositions evoking tropical gardens, wet markets, and Southeast Asian landscapes.