Gotu Kola
A leafy herb from the wetlands of Asia, gotu kola has been in kitchen pots and tea cups across India and Southeast Asia for centuries. It tastes green and mildly bitter, like a quieter version of parsley.
What It Is
Gotu kola grows low to the ground in warm, wet climates across South Asia and Southeast Asia. The whole plant, leaf, stem, and root, is used. In Sri Lanka and parts of South India, it shows up in everyday cooking, not just in herbal traditions. The flavor is grassy and faintly bitter with a mild earthiness.
In Malaysia and Sri Lanka, fresh gotu kola leaves are tossed into salads and sambols. The dried form is most commonly prepared as a simple tea. It has a long place in Ayurvedic and traditional Southeast Asian cooking as a daily green.
What To Do
To make tea, steep about one teaspoon of dried gotu kola in hot water for five to ten minutes, then strain. The flavor is mild enough to blend with mint, ginger, or lemongrass if you want something brighter.
You can also grind it into a fine powder and stir it into smoothies or soups where a slightly bitter green note fits. Store it in a cool, dry spot away from light, and it will hold its flavor for about a year. Think of it as you would dried nettles or moringa: an everyday green that works quietly in the background.
