It has come to my attention that the Thai word YIRA (ยี่หร่า) could possibly refer to 2 separate plants.

Up until now, I was aware that it referred to:

1. Cuminum cyminum

English: cumin (often incorrectly referred to in Thailand as 'fennel' or 'carraway')

I noticed today that it was linked on one site to:

2. Ocimum gratissimum

English: tree basil, clove basil, African basil, wild basil (Hawaii)

Upon further checking, I noticed that YIRA was stated in quite a few scientific journals/papers as being Ocimum gratissimum.

A couple of sites mentioning this are:

http://www.qsbg.org/database/plantdb/mdp/medicinalfamily.asp?family=LAMIACEAE

http://www.thaiphotosite.com/nature/435--nature116.html

I also note that HORAPHA CHANG (โหระพาช้าง) was also described by the scientific term Ocimum gratissimum.

If someone could enlighten me on this, I would appreciate it.

Thank you for your help.

YIRA almost certainly comes from an Indic language. In Hindi cumin seeds are called "jeera", and it's common for the initial consonant sound of this word to be changed to yor yak in Thai. That pretty much unequivocally supports #1 as the "correct" definition.

Now, as to #2, I'd initially thought that perhaps the seeds looked similar and YIRA was used in the absence of a proper term (much as caraway is sometimes incorrectly referred to as cumin in English). That appears not to be the case. (I couldn't find any pictures of the seeds doing a Google image search.) In fact, the names such as "tree basil" and "HORAPHA CHANG" would suggest that the leaves are of significance, rather than the seeds.

The Wikipedia article for HORAPHA (link below) describes how HORAPACHANG differs from regular HORAPHA and states clearly that HORAPHA CHANG is NOT used in cooking.

https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B2#.E0.B9.82.E0.B8.AB.E0.B8.A3.E0.B8.B0.E0.B8.9E.E0.B8.B2.E0.B8.8A.E0.B9.89.E0.B8.B2.E0.B8.87

I'm at a loss, though, to explain why it's referred to as YIRA (but it definitely is). Bit of a mystery, really.

Anyway, since it's not used in cooking perhaps you don't need to include it in your magnum opus.

Dear AyG,

Thank you for your reply.

Glad to hear that HORAPHA CHANG is not used in cooking. That's one to cross off the list. I remember you telling me last year that the word YIRA was linked to the Hindi "jeera" and I meant to add that comment, but forgot at the last minute.

I think I will just stick to #1. I also don't know why #2 comes up. Up until last night (when I was searching for photos), it had never come up. By the way, as you say, it does seem to relate to the leaves mainly. It first appeared when I was looking for a photo of BAI YIRA. I had that on my list, but don't know whether they are used in Thai cooking or not and if so, would it be the cumin leaves or not.

If anyone else has any new information, I would appreciate it, but for now, I will consider that the scientific word for YIRA is Cuminum cyminum.

I liked your 'magnum opus' comment. It describes this project well.

Thank you again for your help.

It first appeared when I was looking for a photo of BAI YIRA. I had that on my list, but don't know whether they are used in Thai cooking or not and if so, would it be the cumin leaves or not.

Not really sure what you mean that. However, cumin leaves are used in Thai cooking - mostly in curries and sometimes in stir fries.

Thank you AyG.

I meant that I haven't come across cumin leaves in any of the Thai recipes I've used so far. Probably because I usually make the same dishes all the time.

Thank you AyG.

I meant that I haven't come across cumin leaves in any of the Thai recipes I've used so far. Probably because I usually make the same dishes all the time.

To be honest, I hadn't come across any recipes using them until I searched today. Looking at Thompson's "Thai Food" he doesn't mention them. I think they're probably something of a rarity.

Thanks AyG.

That's good to know. I will still include them in the dictionary, provided I can find a photo.

Thanks AyG.

That's good to know. I will still include them in the dictionary, provided I can find a photo.

An image like this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumin#/media/File:Cuminum_cyminum_-_K%C3%B6hler%E2%80%93s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-198.jpg

Thanks for that AyG. I will use that image, if I am unable to find an actual photo.

It gives me an idea of what to look for.

Much appreciated.

Thai Muslims use Yira a lot.

I still cannot find a different word for fennel. They seem to say yira for either one.

Thanks Padeng.

I appreciate your information.

Thai Muslims use Yira a lot.

I still cannot find a different word for fennel. They seem to say yira for either one.

Fennel is เฟนเนล (FENNEN) in Thai, and the seeds are เมล็ดเฟนเนล (MALET FENNEN).

Dear AyG,

Thanks for the FENNEL SEEDS translation. I didn't have that one in my list.

By the way, I also have some other words relating to FENNEL, as attached.

Note that the word PHAK CHI LOM is used to describe 3 different plants (according to my research).

I assume that they are correct (at least I hope so), as they have been checked .

fennelAyG.PDFxlsx.pdf

Edited August 11, 201510 yr by Kanga Japan

Just an update on BAI YIRA (ใบยี่หร่า). It seems that they are actually used in Thai cooking sometimes, however the type of leaves they use are not those of the standard cumin plant (Cuminum cyminum), but the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum, which is known in English as tree basil, clove basil, African basil, wild basil (Hawaii).

Just for reference, here is a video site showing a recipe using this leaf:

(https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0SO8wt6OuhVIPIA5qNXNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyA3lmcC10LTkwMQRncHJpZANyYkVGLnhnZFQwSzlGVEdBSTRpRTNBBG5fcnNsdAMwBG5fc3VnZwMxMARvcmlnaW4Dc2VhcmNoLnlhaG9vLmNvbQRwb3MDMARwcXN0cgMEcHFzdHJsAwRxc3RybAM5BHF1ZXJ5A8a9I9IgR0X3N0bXADMTQ0MTI4MzUxMg--?p=ใบยี่หร่า&fr2=sb-top-search&fr=yfp-t-901&fp=1

Thank you all for your help on this subject.

Is this the video you mean?

https://youtu.be/8OM--zA_Sbc

No, sorry AyG.

That's not the video. This is it:

It comes up when you search ใบยี่หร่า and is on FoodTravel.tv

Let me know if it doesn't work.