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Elsholtzia ciliata

Vietnamese balm

Generally recognised as safe

Other names: Crested late-summer mint

An annual East Asian mint-family herb with a mint-lemon aroma.

An upright annual with ovate toothed leaves and slender purple-pink flower spikes at the stem tips; the aerial parts have a fresh mint-lemon aroma and are used as a culinary herb in soups and marinades in northern Vietnam and China.

Family
Lamiaceae
Plant type
Annual herb
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
  • Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
  • Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
  • Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
  • Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
  • Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
  • High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
  • Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Vietnamese balm — plant habitus (Wikimedia Commons).

Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Plant habit

Quick overview

A practical summary; details are in the sections below.

Safety grade
Generally recognised as safe details
Scientific sources on the card
Yes — sources are listed with claims Science section
When and what to harvest
  • Leaf — August–September
Full harvest section
Processing methods

Culinary use, Inhalation, Herbal infusion (tea)

All methods and recipes on the card
Topics and symptoms

Bloating & gas, Common cold — overall comfort, Nausea & queasy stomach…

Topics section, Symptoms overview

Identification and mix-ups

Erect aromatic annual in Lamiaceae, 30–50 cm. Stem square, softly hairy. Leaves simple, opposite, egg-shaped, acutely pointed, 3–9 cm, serrated, gland-dotted beneath. Characteristic are the one-sided (secund) terminal spikes about 4 cm with small (about 5 mm) pale reddish-purple to bluish two-lipped flowers opening from the bottom up. The whole plant is strongly scented.

Possible mix-ups and risks

No hazardous culinary lookalikes are documented for foraging. The one-sided flower spike, square stem and gland-dotted leaves are diagnostic within the mint family. E. cristata is treated as a synonym/close relative and is not a toxic risk.

Similar herbs

  • Lemon balm

    Elsholtzia is called Vietnamese balm in English after its lemon-mint scent, reminiscent of lemon balm. Botanically it is a different genus: elsholtzia has comb-like one-sided flower spikes and coarser leaves, lemon balm small white flowers in the leaf axils.

Topics and symptoms

More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.

Sources

Geographic occurrence

  • Viet Nam

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

Harvest

  • LeafAugust–September

    summer

    Region: Viet Nam

    Notes: Aerial parts at peak flowering, when the aroma is strongest.

Storage

  • Drying(Leaf)

    Fresh leaves keep 4–5 days in the fridge in damp paper; dried flowering herb (xiang ru) a year in an airtight jar, the scent fading after six months.

    Light:
    Out of light.
    Moisture:
    Protect from moisture.

Processing methods on this herb card

  • Culinary use(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability

    Cooking, baking, seasoning as food — general category without therapeutic claims.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Culinary use covers herbs as ingredients in dishes, drinks, or spice mixes. This overview does not evaluate medicinal effects — only reminds you about species intent, allergies, and heat treatment where needed (e.g. some fruits or plant parts).

    Combining with alcohol, sugar, or long cooking changes outcomes; verify culinary sources.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

  • Inhalation(Leaf)Suitability: Medium suitability

    Home steam inhalation over a container of hot water is discouraged because of the risk of scalds.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    This page describes the risks of home steam inhalation over a container of hot water; it is not a guide to performing it. Newcastle Hospitals NHS advises against this home remedy. Spilled hot water can cause serious scalds, especially in children. Evidence of effectiveness for nasal congestion is limited.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Xong — Vietnamese steam inhalation with kinh gioi

    About 20 minBeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Herbal infusion (tea)(Leaf)Suitability: Medium suitability

    Infusion or brief extraction in hot water; usually without long boiling.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Here, herbal tea is prepared as an infusion: pour freshly boiling water over dried herbs or a herbal blend and steep for at least 5 minutes. BfR gives this as a hygiene rule, not a medicinal dose. Follow the specific product instructions, including a longer steeping time when stated. This rule for herbal infusions is not a general preparation guide for true tea (Camellia sinensis). Temperature, steep time, and the herb-to-water ratio change both flavour and what dissolves into the liquid.

    Compared with a decoction, heat exposure is shorter and gentler; tender leaves and flowers are often better as an infusion than with prolonged simmering. For each herb, always follow the plant card for suitable plant part, preparation, and safety notes — general rules never replace species-level judgement.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

Traditional / spiritual use

Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.

  • The herb of the 'summer cold'

    General

    Traditional useFolk useHerbal lore

    In Chinese materia medica the flowering herb of elsholtzia is called xiang ru and is given for the 'summer cold' brought on by damp and heat — hence the nickname 'summer mint'. In Vietnam kinh gioi is a fixture of the plate of fresh herbs served with bun and pho, and folk medicine puts it into steam baths for a runny nose and onto skin rashes. A record of tradition without clinical backing.

    Form:
    xiang ru in Chinese materia medica; kinh giới on the Vietnamese herb platter
    Claim strength:
    Tradition
    Source note:
    Martisiene I et al. (2023), Pharmaceuticals 16:1464 (introduction on traditional use); Chinese materia medica (Xiangru, Elsholtziae herba).

Scientific notes

Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.

How to read evidence strength and study type labels

Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.

Evidence strength

Evidence level not specified
The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
Narrative / orientational literature
Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
Weak evidence
Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
Preliminary findings
First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
Moderate strength of evidence
Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
Stronger evidence
Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
Review article
A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.

Study type

Narrative / expert text
Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
In vitro study
Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
Animal study
Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
Observational study
Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
Clinical trial
Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
Randomised controlled trial
Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
Review study
A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
Systematic review
Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
Meta-analysis
Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.

  • A laboratory study on isolated smooth muscle showed that elsholtzia oil with elsholtzia ketone and dehydroelsholtzia ketone acts as a relaxant, probably via calcium channels; tissue data, not a clinical trial.

    Preliminary findingsNarrative / expert textYear: 2023

    Limitations: Preclinical in vitro study; translation to human use not documented.

    Martisiene I et al. — Pharmaceuticals

    Elsholtzia ciliata Essential Oil Exhibits a Smooth Muscle Relaxant Effect

    DOI: 10.3390/ph16101464

Images

The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.

Safety

What the warning types mean

The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.

Internal use
Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
Interactions / medicines
Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
Raw plant parts
Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
Toxins and regulation
Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
Contact with the plant
Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
Allergy
Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
Harvesting and contamination
Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.

No structured safety records yet.