- Cheesewort: origin and properties
- Planting cheese weed: location and procedure
- Care for the cheese herb
- Harvest and Use
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Here in Germany, cheese herb is still more of a niche existence, while in other parts of the world it has long been known as a medicinal and aromatic herb. However, the cheese herb can be used in many ways and is easy to care for.
The name itself shows that cheese herb (Paederia lanuginosa) is a special plant with a taste reminiscent of Camembert or well-ripened mountain cheese. This easy-to-grow, strong-growing herb is ideal for hobby gardeners and cooks who like to experiment. But cheese herb can not only be used in the kitchen, it is also suitable, for example, as an ornamental plant for hanging baskets or annual hedges. Check out this article for tips on growing, caring for, and using cheesewort.
Cheesewort: origin and properties
The cheese herb, which belongs to the Rubicea family, originally comes from Vietnam, where it is one of the most important kitchen herbs. The plant, called La Mo Long, is used to flavor many dishes - but especially high-protein, difficult-to-digest dishes. If the tropical herb feels good, it grows vigorously and can produce sprouts up to 2 m long in a year.
The leaves, which are still pale green when young, turn purple over time on the underside, so that La Mo Long is also an excellent ornamental herb, for example for hanging baskets. In summer, Paederia lanuginosa shows its pretty pink flowers with a white edge from June. It is also important to note: The strong, aromatic scent and taste of the leaves only develop when they are cut; the plant is completely odorless in the garden.
Planting cheese weed: location and procedure
Cheesewort is perennial, but needs very warm temperatures, which is why a culture in a pot is ideal. The herb can either be kept as a houseplant all year round or spend the summer on the balcony and terrace. Furthermore, cheeseweed likes a lot of light, nutrients and water. waterloggingbut should definitely be avoided. It is best to choose a pot with a diameter of 15 to 20 cm for the culture, which you fill with a nutrient-rich substrate, such as our Plantura organic universal soil.
Water the plant well and also take care of it the subsequent period of growth that the La Mo Long is always well supplied with water. Of course you can also plant cheese herb in the garden. The best time is in spring when the temperatures are warm enough - around the end of April. However, since the herb does not tolerate temperatures below 15 °C, it must be brought back into the sheltered warmth in good time in autumn.
Since Paederia lanuginosa, as already described, is fast-growing, you should make sure when choosing the location that you can offer the plant a climbing aid. Alternatively, you can also hang them up, for example in a traffic light.
Care for the cheese herb
Paederia lanuginosa does not require much attention. Since the plant grows so quickly, it should be watered and fertilized regularly to guarantee a bountiful harvest of tender leaves. For example, our Plantura organic flower and balcony fertilizer is suitable for fertilizing. It has a high nitrogen content that helps support strong vegetative growth of cheese weed. It also consists of 100% natural ingredients of plant origin and also contains microorganisms that promote root growth.
Pruning deeply from time to time promotes the budding of young, tender shoots. Also note that while regular pruning encourages vegetative growth, it also causes flowering to be delayed. At the latest at the end of the vegetation period, i.e. in autumn, the La Mo Long plant should be cut back to prepare it for wintering.
If you have had your cheeseweed plant outside during the summer, it should be brought back indoors in early autumn at the latest, before temperatures drop below 15°C at night. There it should be overwintered in a bright place. The higher the temperature, the more La Mo Long grows indoors and the more often it has to be watered. Temperatures of around 18 °C are ideal for simple, low-maintenance overwintering.
Before cheese weed in spring againallowed to move to the balcony or terrace, it makes sense to check the root system of the plant. If the root ball has already rooted through the entire substrate, it is time to treat your cheese weed to a new pot and fresh substrate. It is best to fill a slightly larger container with our Plantura organic universal soil, for example. Then lift the cheese weed plant from its previous home, loosen the root ball with your hands, place the plant in the fresh pot and water it well. In this way, the Käsekraut can start the new growing season well strengthened.
Thrips like to attack La Mo Long, but fortunately they are not powerless against them. How to get rid of the little pests is described in more detail in our article Fighting thrips.
Harvest and Use
The leaves can be harvested all year round. The following applies: the younger and more tender, the better they taste. As soon as the leaves are cut, their strong tangy flavor unfolds, which many say is reminiscent of cheese. Others classify it between kohlrabi and radish. In any case, everyone agrees that the leaves taste very spicy, with a slight spiciness.
The leaves contain many sulphurous compounds that support the digestion of proteins. That is why they are mostly used in Vietnam for seasoning meat dishes, eggs or tofu. For example, a simple recipe is “Ran voi trung ga”, in which the chopped leaves are whisked with eggs and s alt and then sautéed with onions. Here in Germany, the herb is becoming increasingly popular as a natural, low-calorie and vegan “cheese substitute”. Whether on pizza, in salads or for spicy spreads - Käsekraut invites you to experiment.
Various healing effects are also attributed to Paederia lanuginosa. For example, it is said to help with arthritis and rheumatism, kidney stones or gastrointestinal diseases.
Isn't Käsekraut unusual enough for you? In our article about crazy herbs for the raised bed, we introduce you to some other special herbs that can also be cultivated outside of the raised bed.