The King of Bitter

Common name         The King of Bitter Herb

Latin name                Andrographis paniculata

Native names            Hempedu bumi, pokok cerita, akar cerita

Although I have tasted many herbal plants and find many of them extremely pleasant and they add flavoring and aromatic properties to food and beverages, the most strongest herb I have tasted is the King of Bitter Herb or Andrographis paniculata. The name itself is a testimony of the strength of the plant’s properties. Totally devoid of any aroma and resemble a lemon basil leaf but it have a more elongated shape. The leaves look like an inviting, benign piece of green vegetable until one starts to bite into the leaves. My first attempt to sample this herb was to substitute it for the Holy Basil that I normally love to have in my stir-fried rice. Needless to say, it was quite a disaster food-wise.

For the uninitiated, the bitterness creeps onto your palate and then proceeds to invade your taste buds and overpowers any other flavors. Salt and soy sauces compound the sensation of the strong bitterness. The aftertaste of the bitterness continues to linger on my palate for a few hours and eventually fade away but apart from that, there are not any other unpleasant side effects.

I supposed that during cooking, the compounds of the herb strongly flavored the rest of the fried rice and the whole dish tasted bitter and bitter. Perhaps, I should be a bit more apprehensive on my first tasting attempt. Nowadays I prefer to have it raw and I find it be more palatable… a rush of bitterness initially and it fades away, then the rest of the food’s flavor comes into play. The younger leaves are much mild than the older leaves.

Known as a traditional herb for several ailments, it is used by the South East Asian community and in Ayurvedic medicine for many decades as a laxative, digestive and stomachic aid. It has also several uses for the traditional treatment of internal worm infections, flatulence, diarrhea and skin disorders such as ulcers. More accolades are bestowed on the herb as a recognized agent for treating diabetes and high blood pressure (Ahmad & Asmawi, 1993; International Conference on the use of traditional medicine and other natural products in health care, USM). Traditionally, it is also known to have anti-fertility properties and may cause abortions in pregnant women. Excessive consumption of this herb may produce some unpleasant side effects such as heart burn or insomnia.

International interest in the pharmaceutical research industry has picked up on the potential properties of this herb to treat diseases associated with autoimmune disorders. Research is being conducted to assess the potential of using the herb as a treatment for AIDS. Complex, powerful compounds have been identified by the scientific community as promising agents to treat blood clots, infections, skin diseases and cancer. It is interesting to note that it is being used for treating malaria patients. In Europe and America, King of Bitter as herbal supplements are gaining popularity for more than fifteen years in combating respiratory infections and colds. Like the Neem Tree, this humble weed’s powerful medicinal properties are mind-blowing, which leads me to conclude that this plant should have a confirmed place in every herb garden in spite of my “bitter” experience.

Found as an annual weed in Asia, it thrives in several types of soil but ideally a rich, moist soil with some partial shade is preferred. The plant in my garden grows up to the size of a small bush besides a row of orchids that provides it with some shade. It can be grown from stem cuttings or seeds. Young plants are sensitive to hot weather and 50% shade should be given until the plant starts to reach the flowering stage where the plant becomes more woody and puts out smaller and lesser leaves. Once the plant has matured, it will flower profusely and produces a lot of seeds. Eventually, the whole plant will consist of mostly terminal and axillary panicles with very small flowers. It is highly resistant to pest infestation and does not require a lot of care apart from daily watering and feeding.