I wonder if someone could help me.

I would like to know whether the following are all the same vegetable (Vietnamese coriander). The botanical name is Polygonum odoratum:

1. bai prik ma

2. pak peow

3. pak pai

4. chan chom

Thank you for your help.

Polygonatum odoratum is now known as Persicaria odorata. In Thai it's phak phai, and also known as phak phaew. Without Thai script I can't work out what the other two are.

Just had a look on Thai Wikipedia. It gives synonyms for phak phaew: phak phai, phak phrik maa, phak chan choom

I think it's safe to say that all four are synonyms. The Wikipedia article gives notes on regional use and pronunciation.

See: http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persicaria_odorata

Dear AG,

Thank you so much for your information regarding

PAK PAI (ผักไผ่ )

PHAK PHAEW (ผักแพว)

I was also able to look up Persicaria odorata and obtain the Thai script for the following;

BAI PRIK MA (ใบพริกม้า)

CHAN CHOM (จันทร์โฉม)

Perhaps Chan Chom should be read as Jan Chom? Also, a new word was included, which apparently is used in Ayutthaya:

HOM CHAN (หอมจันทน์) (perhaps Hom Jan?)

Looking forward to your reply. Thank you.

Dear AyG (sorry, I incorrectly identified you as AG in my previous mail).

I looked up the Wikipedia site link (thank you for that), but unfortunately I am still in the process of learning how to read Thai.

I didn't know that you understood Thai script. It would have been better to have posted this in the Thai language section since Thai script is forbidden elsewhere on this site.

Anyway, in attempting to Romanise I accidentally used "ch" where I should have used "c" for what you're calling "jan chom". The first syllable means "moon" and is the same as in the Thai word for "Tuesday" (wan can or jan as you prefer).

By your system, yes, it's hom jan (again, the second syllable meaning moon).

Dear AyG,

Thank you for your reply. Actually, I do not really understand Thai script yet. I am learning.

The Thai script I indicated were pasted on by me (taken from the internet).

Do you think that Hom Chan also refers to the same leaf?

If so, according to your information, Phak Phai, Phak Phaew, Chan Chom, Bai Prik Ma and Hom Chan all refer to the same vegetable. I hope this is correct.

Thank you for your help.

Bai Prik Ma, Chan Chom and Chan Dom

Your Thai spelling of hom chan (jan) bothers me. Where did you copy/paste the text from? Surely the last consonant should be ror reua - not nor nuu. (Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can tell if it's actually correct or not.)

Working on the assumption that it is, according to http://tinyurl.com/qcqvcuj (link to dictionary.sanook.com) hom jan is Musa acuminata Colla. Musas are bananas.

However, the name, which means "fragrant moon" is so generic that it could possibly be applied to a herb in the Ayutthaya area. I don't know.

Edit: lots of problems with the link.

Dear AyG,

Thank you again. Actually I found the word HOM CHAN in the following, which is usually reliable (perhaps not in this case):

http://www.ars-grin.gov/misc/mmpnd/Persicaria.html

I am putting together an English/Thai/Japanese dictionary relating to Thai food ingredients (vegetables, fruit, fish, etc.) and after receiving your reply, I looked up the bananas section and found the word GLUAY HOM JAN. I think I will forget about including HOM CHAN in the dictionary and just list the other 4 words, as being Thai for Vietnamese Coriander.

Your have been a great help.

Best regards.

Your Thai spelling of hom chan (jan) bothers me. Where did you copy/paste the text from? Surely the last consonant should be ror reua - not nor nuu. (Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can tell if it's actually correct or not.)

Working on the assumption that it is, according to http://tinyurl.com/qcqvcuj (link to dictionary.sanook.com) hom jan is Musa acuminata Colla. Musas are bananas.

However, the name, which means "fragrant moon" is so generic that it could possibly be applied to a herb in the Ayutthaya area. I don't know.

Edit: lots of problems with the link.

What I posted was (I now discover) nonsense. The spelling of chan/jan with nor nuu is possible, and with that spelling the syllable would mean "sandalwood". (It wasn't in the dictionary I consulted first and cropped up on another topic you started.) So, hom chan/jan means "fragrant sandalwood".

The Royal Institute Dictionary online doesn't contain this word (and for some unknown reason returns a response with the nor nuu changed to ror ruea with the definition being a banana).

As you suggest, probably best to ignore since it's obviously an obscure word.

Dear AyG,

Thank you for your reply. To avoid confusion, I think I will not include HOM CHAN/JAN in my dictionary, in the section relating to Vietnamese Coriander.

Thank you for your help.