Cooking orchid
Dendrobium salaccense

Family: Orchidaceae

What it is like

An orchid. It grows on trees. The stems are erect and tough. It is 1 m long and 3-4 mm wide. It is enclosed in the leaf sheaths. The leaves are arranged in 2 rows. They are narrowly sword shaped and 15 cm long by 2 cm wide. The flowering stalks emerge through the sheaths.

There are about 900-1200 Dendrobium species orchids.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows on tree trunks in forests and on rocks in open forests between 600-1,000 m above sea level in southern China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The leaves are placed near rice which is cooking to give the rice an aroma.

Edible parts

Leaves as condiment, spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Dendrobium gemellum Ridley; Dendrobium intermedium Teijsm. & Binnend.; Gastridium salaccense Blume;