Question 1

What is pandan?

Accepted Answer

Pandan is a long, blade-shaped tropical leaf used as an aromatic in cooking, known in Sri Lanka as rampe. The leaves are typically knotted and dropped whole into rice pots, curries, and sweets, where they release a soft, grassy fragrance as the dish cooks, then removed before serving. In Sri Lankan kitchens pandan teams up with curry leaves and a piece of cinnamon to form the aromatic trio at the base of countless dishes.

Question 2

What does pandan taste like?

Accepted Answer

Pandan tastes grassy and nutty with a faint vanilla sweetness, subtle but unmistakable once you notice it. The aroma is more about background depth than a strong standalone flavour, lending a gentle floral, green note that shines in rice and coconut-milk dishes. In savoury curries it adds a quiet earthiness, while in sweets it leans toward its vanilla-like side.

Question 3

What can I substitute for pandan?

Accepted Answer

A knotted bay leaf is the closest everyday substitute. The aroma is different but it plays the same background role in rice and curries. For sweets where pandan provides colour and scent, a small amount of pandan extract works well. In many savoury dishes you can simply leave it out; the result will still be good, just slightly less fragrant, since pandan is a finishing aromatic rather than a core ingredient.

Question 4

Where can I buy pandan?

Accepted Answer

Pandan is sold at South Asian and Southeast Asian grocers as well as specialty Asian food stores, and it is also available from online grocery retailers. Look for it fresh in chilled produce sections, frozen in the freezer aisle, or as a bottled extract among the baking and flavouring products. Frozen leaves are widely stocked and work just as well as fresh for most cooking.

Question 5

Is pandan vegan and gluten-free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, pandan is naturally vegan and gluten-free, as it is simply a plant leaf with nothing added. Fresh and frozen leaves contain only the leaf itself, so they suit plant-based and gluten-free diets without concern. If you buy pandan extract or paste, check the label, since some bottled products include added sugar, colouring, or other ingredients.

Question 6

How do I store pandan and how long does it keep?

Accepted Answer

Store pandan in the freezer for the longest life, where the leaves keep their aroma for several months. Fresh leaves last about a week wrapped loosely and kept in the fridge, though they wilt and lose fragrance over time. Freezing is the most practical option for most cooks: tuck the leaves whole or knotted into a sealed bag and pull out one or two as needed, no thawing required before dropping them into the pot.

Question 7

How do I use pandan in cooking?

Accepted Answer

Use pandan by knotting one or two leaves and dropping them whole into the pot while rice, curry, or a sweet simmers, then fishing them out before serving. Knotting keeps the leaf together so it is easy to remove and helps release the aroma gently into the dish. Pandan is added for fragrance rather than eaten, so a leaf or two is plenty; in sweets like puddings, pandan extract can be stirred in for both scent and a green tint.

Question 8

What is the difference between pandan and curry leaves?

Accepted Answer

Pandan and curry leaves are two different aromatics that are often used together rather than swapped for each other. Pandan is a long, flat blade-shaped leaf with a grassy, nutty, vanilla-like fragrance, while curry leaves are small, glossy, almost citrusy leaves that come on a stem and are usually fried in hot oil at the start of cooking. In Sri Lankan dishes the two appear side by side, with curry leaves tempered in oil for a savoury punch and pandan knotted into the pot for soft background fragrance.

Question 9

Can you eat pandan leaves?

Accepted Answer

Pandan leaves are not meant to be eaten; they are added whole for fragrance and removed before serving. The leaf is too fibrous and tough to chew, so it functions like a bay leaf, flavouring the dish from inside the pot and then being discarded. The exception is pandan extract or paste, which is made to be stirred directly into sweets and batters and stays in the finished dish.

Question 10

Is pandan the same as rampe?

Accepted Answer

Yes, rampe is simply the Sri Lankan name for pandan, the same aromatic leaf. You will see it called rampe in Sri Lankan recipes and pandan more widely, but both refer to the long, blade-shaped leaf knotted into rice and curries for its grassy, vanilla-tinged fragrance. There is no difference in the ingredient itself.

Pandan

Where to Buy pandan

Ingredient Tips for Your Country

Good Substitutes

Frequently Asked Questions

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