Vietnamese Cilantro, also called Vietnamese Coriander and Rau Ram is one of those mysterious and exotic herbs. A pretty little plant in the knotweed family, Polygonum, it is often used in Vietnam interchangeably with peppermint and what we would call normal Cilantro, Coriandrum sativum. And, while we may be most familiar with normal Cilantro in Salsa, it is used in many different ways throughout the world.
There are three fairly well known plants that sport the 'Cilantro' flavor. Besides Cilantro, and Vietnamese Cilantro, there is also Culantro, Eryngium foetidium. And while not identical in flavor to Coriandrum sativum, Vietnamese Cilantro is by far the easiest to grow.