I think the culinary pandanus leaves are similar to an amaryllis. They look like a green block of frozen stuff at the store. Found this online: Look for fresh pandanus leaves in Southeast Asian markets; they are flown in from Hawaii and are available on a sporadic basis. You need only two to three whole leaves to flavor a couple of cups of coconut milk. Simmer ten to fifteen minutes, or until the milk is richly flavored. Squeeze all the juice out from the leaves before discarding; these last drops are the most fragrant. If you are not able to find the fresh leaves, look for frozen ones carried by Thai markets. Frequently, the imported leaves from Thailand (labeled sometimes as "pandan" or "pandal") are even more fragrant than the fresh Hawaiian ones. Use the dried cut leaves only as a last resort, or substitute with a few drops of the green essence sold in little bottles identified as "bai toey." Found this recipe but it doesn't look very appetizing. lol http://www.ucancookthai.com/language-english/thai-recipes/desserts/content-sangkaya.htm This one looks better. http://johndlee.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Make-Thai-Pandanus-Fried-Chicken

This is an update to my 2006 list. We've added many more varities and most things are fruiting now. FRUIT & SPICE TREES Acai Palm Allspice Ambarella Apple Anna Apple Dorset Golden Atemoya Gefner Grafted Avacado Haas Avacado Fuerte Banana Bay Rum Blackberry Black Sapote Seedless Black Walnut Blueberry Blueberry Gulf Coast Blueberry Sharp Blueberry Windsor Cocao Calomondin Camellia Sinesis, Tea Cashew Apple Cercropia Cherry Black Grafted Surinam Cherry Grumichama Cherry Rio Grand Cherry Barbados Cherry Dwarf Barbados Chestnut Malibar Cinnamon Coffee Dragon Fruit Eucalyptus Eugenia Confusa Fig Brown Turkey Fig Green Isha Fig Kadota Goji Berry Grapefruit Pink Grapefruit Yellow Grapes Bunch Grapes Muscadine Guave Chattey Guava Pineaple Guava Ruby Guava Strawberry Guava Jaboticaba Joy Perfume Michelia Champaca Jujube Katok Kiwi Tomuri m&f Lemon Harvey Lemon Sambukan Lemon Varigated Pink Lime Key Lime Kaffir Lime Persian Lime Red Longan Kahola Loquat Lychee Hakip Lychee Maritius Mango Mango Carrie MANGOSTEEN Michelia Alba Michela Champaca Miracle Fruit Mombin Red Monstera Deliciosa Moringa (Horseradish Tree) Mulberry Dwarf Mulberry Shangrila Natal Plum Nectarine Sun Raycer Neem Olive Fremtoya Orange Orange Dwarf Navel Orange Red Blood Orange Ortanique Orange Tarocco Blood Papaya Passionfruit Yellow Peach Red Cylon Peach Tropic Beauty Peanut Butter Fruit Pear Pear Pineapple Persimmon Ichibe Juro Persimmon Triumph Pineapple, Golden Pistachio Plantain Plum Gulf Rose Pomegranate Dwarf Pomegranate Vietnamese Rambutan Rose Apple Spanish Lime Strawberry Strawberry Tree Sugar Cane Tamarind Tangelo Tangerine Murcott Tangerine Satsuma Wax Jambu Thai Red Sunset White Sapote Yerba Mate HERBS Allheal Alow Arnica Montana Anise hyssop Bacopa Bacopa, Lemon Basils, Greek Columnar, Lemon, Lettuce Leaf, Lime, Sweet Bay Tree Bay Rum Bergamot (Monarda) Betel Betony Borage Calendula Camelia sinesis Caper bush Cardamom Catnip Chives, Garlic & Onion Cilantro Comfrey Coriander Culantro Curry Plant Daisy Dill, Boquet & Fernleaf Echinacea Fennel, Bronze & Sweet Feverfew Fuschia Galangal True Gardenia Garlic Society Geranium, Apple, Citronella, Lemon Sculpture, Rose Ginger Ginkgo Goji Berries Gotu kola Greek mountain tea Gynura Henna Hibiscus, Edible & False Roselle Honeysuckle Horseradish Jasmine Arabian Tea & Confederate Lambs Ear Lavender Lemon balm Lemon grass Lemon verbena LionÂs tail Marjoram Marshmallow Mint, Apple, Berries & Cream, Blackberry, Chocolate, Citrus kitchen, Corsican, Costa rican Kama Sutra, Cotton candy, English, Grapefruit, Hazelnut, Italian spice, JimÂs Fruit, Lavender. Lemon sweet, Margarita, MarilynÂs Salad, Mojito, Mountain, Orange Bergamot Oregano thyme, Pennyroyal, Spearmint, Sweet pear, Wintergreen, Yerba buena Monarda Moujean tea/Bahama Berry/Pineapple Verbena Mullein Murraya koeniggi Myrtle greek Nasturtium Oregano, Cuban, Italian, Mexican Pandanus Amaryllifolius Papalo Parsley, Curled & Flat Leaf Pepper, Black Pepper Vine, Chili, Habernero, Jalapeno, Ornamental, Red Pepper Vine, Tabasco Perilla Purslane Root beer plant Rose, Bon Silene Tea, Champneys pink cluster, Climbing don juan, Double red, Moanne lombard, Red cascade, Safrano, Treasure blend hybrid Rosemary, Romero, Spice island, Victorian Sage, Common, Diviners, Grape scented, Mexican, Pineapple Savory Spice bush, Lindera Benzoin Spilanthese Spinach, Malabar & Okinawa Star anise Stevia St johns wort Sugar cane Sushini Sweet almond verbena Tarragon Tea olive Thyme, English, Lemon Tilo Tomatoes Turmeric Violet sweet Yarrow Yerba mate Zaatar Zuta levana WATER PLANTS Bacopa, lemon Cattail Celer, water Chestnut, water Mint, water I'm working on a website with photos of our property in all stages of bloom and slowly working on a book for zone 9 edible gardening. We've had luck with almost everything we've tried. I'm happy to answer any questions about growing in tropical zones. Happy growing, Kelly

Thanks Chudapha, yes I just found out about thaiherb.com when stumble across some 2002 post in this forum. I have located another source in New Jersey and they're currently out of stock, but will have some in July. They are almost the same price. I'm still debate if I should get it since I'm living in an apartment. I know Pandan leave is best to plan in open space with lots of space to spread to make sure they can survive. You're planting yours in a pot right? Heathen1, I'm not sure what's the latin name of the plant, but this page lot of different language for this plant: http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Pand_ama.html nygardener, This plant is popular in South Easy Asia, especially around Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It's mostly use for dessert: - make syrup - boil with sweet potato to make sweet soup - make "Kaya", an egg custard type spread for bread. As for daily table use, tie one or two Pandan leave into a knot, put it into the rice and cook it in the rice cooker, you will end up with fragant rice. One of my favorite Thai cuisine is to marinate chicken pieces with curry powder and some spice like cumin, all spice etc, then wrap each chicken piece with one pandan leave, then secure with a tooth pick. Deep fry the chicken pieces and you will end up with a very very fragent chicken that your neibour would wonder what kind of cuisin is it.

I've been looking for Cardamom. As far as spices and tropical veggies. I have to trade: edible hibiscus (green leaves used like lettuce), Thai ginger (galanga), Pandan (pandanus used for flavoring and aromatics). Though not out of dormancy yet, I can dig you a rhizome of turmuric for trade as well. Let me know if any of those will do for you.