Chinese and Western Herbs

Thriving Under Equatorial Harsh Weather

Written by Mrs. Money

I like herbs so much that whenever I got any chance to acquire a new kind, I would either sow the seed or plant the cuttings in one of the vegetables patches. Some were successfully propagated but some would perish as seedlings.

Seeds of western herbs came not easy and expensive, these days I tried to sow those precious seeds and care of those seedlings right under my careful watch, I decided to place them next to my laundry machine so that I could see them few times a day.

On my last trip to Singapore, I forgotten to bring back my gooseberry, I left it in my sister's refrigerator for almost two months and I only just got it during Chinese new year. At first I doubted if those seeds would be able to germinate, then I got so excited when I saw little sprouts finally emerged and now I watch them growing up daily.

Western Herb: Purple Basil, love gift seeds from my sister all the way from Auckland, I plan to make purple pesto soon! Purple basil thrives very well in Malaysia, I found out Cuban Oregano is a very good companion plant for basil.

Oriental Herb: Chili padi is one of the Malaysians' favorite herbs, it is one of the hottest chili, its size is smallest amongst chilies, the size is shown in the picture. I read from a Chinese Herbal magazine that a mom used to boil the roots of this chili padi plants as tea to supress her son's bad brain tumour to pea size.

Oriental Herb: Cilandro is popular for garnishing Sarawkiens' laksa or steamed fish. It is also a very popular herb for Thais, Vietamese and Koreans

Oriental and Western Herb: Peppermint all over the garden, sometimes I gave my friends to prepare alkaline herbal drink. A popular ingredients for Ray Chai

Oriental Herb: Garlic chives is popular for frying Penang Kueh Tiaw and making Wuo Tear

Western Herb: Sweet basils for preparing pesto or pasta sauce. From my reading of a latest Chinese Herbal Health Magazine, a man said that any kind of basils is 100% effective for teenager boys who got "sexual function health" problem that they will be too shy to tell their parents. Also he said if you go out for happy hours, bring some basil leaves to chew so you won't get drunk easily, and lastly he said the basil makes men very "strong"!


Ancient Herb: Aloe Vera. Someone just told me this recipe for hopeless cancer patients: Peel off the skin of the leaves, don't wash with water, steam the leaves for two hours with raw sugar. Eat it everyday until your tumour gone! I also read the latest Chinese herbal magazine, a salesman who got rid of his bad pigmentations within four months by drinking aloe vera-apple juice and apply aloe vera on face with mostuizer every night.

Oriental Herb: It smells like cilandro, good replacement if ones can't find cilandro in the market

Oriental Herb: This is the most interesting Chinese herb, when my IVF specialist brother-in-laws hinted Mr. Money that due to my old age I might not be able to deliver anymore baby, my mom used the roots of this herb, fried with red rice wine for 7 times, then prepared the yummy chicken soup. I enjoyed the soup, I didn't care if I was able to deliver baby or not, worst come to worst I didn't mind have a quick divorce!

Western Herb: Cuban Oregano my cousin gave

Western Herb: Dill Officinalis thriving very well in my garden, but this herb wouldn't thrive under soaking soil. This is good for grilling fish, preparing cucumber cum tomatoes salad and making gherkin dill pickles.

Oriental Herb: Thai Basils with purple stems, besides for Ton Yang, it is one of the ingredients in preparing Ray Chai

Oriental Herb: Parsley, good replacement for celery. Sarawakien Chinese love to use it to garnish their Tofu soup

Oriental Herb: My visiting cousin chew the leaves to get rid of her uncomfortable stomach


Oriental Herb: Cat whiskets, good for supressing diabetic combined with basil

Oriental Herb: "Black face general", good for supressing swollen lumps

Oriental Wild Herb: According to a Chinese herbal magazine that this herb is slightly poison, shouldn't take it continously. Good for eyes, depression and for certain sexual disfuntion.

Oriental Herb: Good for diabetic wounds recovering

Oriental Herb: Curry leaves

Western Herb: Lemon basil

Western Herb: Thyme

Western Herb: Oregano