Plectranthus amboinicus

Indian borage • Cuban oregano • Spanish sage

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Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Sprengel (= Coleus amboinicus Lour.) (Lamiaceae); woud-marog (Afrikaans); yin dub bo he, pok-hor (Chinese); coleus (French); Coleus, Jamaika-Thymian (German); daun kambing, daun kuching (Indonesian); coleus (Italian); daun bangun-bangun (Malaysian); oregano (Tagalog)

DESCRIPTION The leaves are thick and succulent, with prominently toothed margins and a strong spicy smell.

THE PLANT A robust succulent herb of about 0.6 m (ca. 2 ft) high with spreading branches and small off-white to pale violet flowers borne in spikes. It is one of many Plectranthus species traditionally used as food and medicine.1

ORIGIN The plant is believed to be of southern and eastern African origin, from where it spread to other parts of the world and became known by several somewhat confusing names. These include India (“Indian borage”), Malaysia (daun bangun-bangun), the Philippines (“oregano”), and more recently also Australia (“five-in-one”), the United States (“Mexican mint”), the West Indies (“broad-leaf thyme”) and South America (e.g. northeastern Brazil where it is known as “orégano” or “hortelã da folha grossa”).

CULTIVATION New plants are easily established by simply planting the leafy stems. They are often seen in kitchen gardens in rural areas, thriving in partial shade in rich, well-drained soil. When grown in full sun, the leaves tend to become yellow and shrivelled.

HARVESTING Leaves are harvested throughout the year as required and are rarely if ever seen on fresh produce markets.

CULINARY USES The aromatic leaves are used in much the same way as thyme, sage or oregano (note the chemical similarity) and are considered to be useful substitutes (or tropical equivalents) for these temperate herbs. In Malaysia and Indonesia, leaves are used to flavour strong-smelling meat dishes (e.g. goat, fish and shellfish)2–4 and sometimes also salads.1 They are used in marinades for beef and chicken.1 Chopped leaves are used in stuffings and poultry dishes4 or can be mixed with flour and fried in butter or oil.1

FLAVOUR COMPOUNDS The leaves yield small amounts of essential oil, in which carvacrol is the dominant compound, with p-cymene, γ-terpinene and β-caryophyllene as minor constituents.5 Carvacrol is also a main compound in oregano and has a pleasant, spicy aroma and warm, pungent taste on the tongue.

NOTES Several Plectranthus species, including P. amboinicus, are better known for their medicinal and cosmetic properties than for their culinary uses. Many of them are highly aromatic. An example is P. neochilus, an attractive groundcover that is commonly planted on sidewalks, not only as colourful ornamental plant but also to act as a dog repellent.

1. Lukhoba, C.W., Simmonds, M.S.J., Paton, A.J. 2006. Plectranthus: A review of ethnobotanical uses. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 103: 1–24.

2. Burkill, I.H. 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula, Vol. 1, pp. 634−635. Crown Agents for the Colonies, London.

3. Morton, J.F., 1992. Country borage (Coleus amboinicus Lour.): a potent flavoring and medicinal plant. Journal of Herbs, Spices Medicinal Plants 1: 77–90.

4. Hutton, W. 1997. Tropical herbs and spices. Periplus Editions, Singapore.

5. Mallavarapu, G.R., Rao, L., Ramesh, S. 1999. Essential oil of Coleus aromaticus Benth. from India. Journal of Essential Oil Research 11: 742−744.