‘Vanilla of the Southeast’: The tropical leaf now giving matcha a run for its money
We’ve seen matcha, we’ve seen Kadayif pistachio – now, yet another green, multicultural craze could be poised for a timely boom in the West.
Pandan, derived from the tropical plant Pandanus amaryllifolius, has seen a sharp spike in popularity in 2026. Its fragrant flavour has increasingly been woven through dessert menus countrywide, and we may be about to see a lot more of it.
Move over, matcha: Pandan is having its moment in the foodie spotlight. iStock
Widely described by culinary professionals as “the vanilla of the Southeast,” pandan boasts an aromatic blend of vanilla, almond, coconut and subtle floral, grassy notes (though don’t the latter deter you), and is as distinctive as it is versatile.
Pandan is not new by any means – its fragrant flavour profile has been incorporated in Southeast Asian cooking for millennia – but it seems the West, over 2000 years later, might at long last be catching on.
Per Flavourist, food trend forecasts highlight pandan as an emerging top flavour across Australia, with Google Trends showing a sharp increase in related searches across the last few years.
This was further solidified when the New York Times cited pandan as one of 12 next-big-things in 2025.
It’s since been touted alongside the likes of ube, taro and black sesame as the flavour most likely to follow matcha’s meteoric success.
Instead of artificial green colourants, matcha and pandan both offer the same naturally-occuring pigment – green chlorophyll – without any of the nasties.
Fresh, frozen and powdered forms, as well as extracts and pastes, are readily available at Asian grocers and specialty markets across the country.
But there are a few things to consider before incorporating the ingredient into your own cooking.
The “vanilla of the Southeast” is popping up on dessert and drinks menus around the country. iStock
Traditional uses
Historically, pandan has been used to flavour coconut rice, cakes, custards, jellies and beverages alike – but beyond that, it is far more multipurpose than one might initially think.
Rice
Whole leaves are tied into a knot and dropped into pots of jasmine or white rice to infuse a fragrance similar to that of basmati rice.
Dessert dishes
Perhaps the most mainstream use, blended and strained fresh leaf juice provides a natural green hue and floral flavour to traditional treats like kanom chun, pandan sponge cake, kaya (coconut jam) and buko pandan.
The ingredient can be used in sweet and savoury dishes, as well as drinks. iStock
Savoury dishes
Sliced or bruised leaves are frequently simmered into regional curries, soups, pilafs and biryanis across Southest Asia.
Meanwhile, whole leaves have been commonly used to wrap chicken, fish, or parcels (such as Thai gai ob bai toey, or gai kor bai toey) before grilling, steaming or deep-frying to lock in moisture and impart a subtle herbal scent.
Beverages
Leaves or extracted juice are boiled into warm pandan tea, cold sweet tonics, or mixed with coconut milk and coffee.
Non-culinary uses
Not to be confined to the cuisine box, pandan also has a number of practical and medicinal uses.
Ever-versatile, the plant has long been used in natural food preservation processes, recreational and ceremonial crafts and traditional herbal remedies.
Food aside, pandan also has a number of practical and medicinal uses. iStock
Ethical considerations
In 2017, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, often credited for the mainstream popularisation of the humble avo toast, touted pandan as the next flavour trend to watch.
“I think it’s going to be the new matcha,” she told the Times.
“I don’t know where it is in [England] yet. But I notice more and more people in America baking with pandan essence.”
However, Lawson faced a barrage of backlash in response to her glowing pandan praise, accused of “exoticising” the long-time Southeast Asian staple.
Seen before with matcha, the Westernisation and severe environmental strain associated with booming food trends are both key concerns when prioritising ethical consumption.
When buying, look out for certifications that guarantee fair wages for farmers and sustainable agricultural practices that don’t rely on heavy pesticides.
Caution should also be taken when choosing products, as the market has become saturated with synthetic imitations of pandan.
How to incorporate pandan in your cooking
If you’re looking at simple ways to begin infusing the pandan flavour into everyday fare with fairly minimal fuss, there are a few fool-proof ways to achieve this.
Throw them in a blender with a little water, strain, and you’ve made pandan extract – a vividly pigmented substance that can morph anything sweet (from custards, to pancakes) into a rich, emerald-adjacent green treat.
A few easy uses include
- Dropping knotted whole leaves straight into your rice cooker or pot to infuse rice and curries – similar in principle to the use of bay leaves.
- Using pandan extract and paste as a fragrant, vanilla-like substitute in baking. This can be implemented in several Aussie classics – lamingtons and vanilla slice, most notably.
- Wrapping strips of pandan leaves around marinated chicken thigh pieces and air-frying them (known as gai hor bai toey). The leaf locks in moisture and imparts a nutty, roasted aroma.
