ចំភ្លូ, ចាព្លូ, Lá lốt (Piper Sarmetosum)

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Piper Sarmetosum or ចំភ្លូ, ចាព្លូ, Lá lốt. Also known as Piper Lalot. It said to have medicinal values.  It's a native to and commonly found in the tropical climate of Cambodia under the canopy of the forest. It's a shade loving plant. It doesn't do well in direct sunlight, even the 11:00am sunlight can do lots of damages. This plant is uncommon,  under-appreciated, neglected and overlooked by many in the West. In the older generation of Cambodia it has never been domesticated because it was never been valued as a "Money making" vegetation do to the fact that it can be easily found growing wild. I grew up eating it in different forms and in a variety of dishes in my great-grandparents' kitchen. It's an excellent accent ingredient in a traditional Khmer cooking made with eel called "Kore Gruerng K'dow", a Spicy lemongrass paste stir fry. A quick glance at its leaves can be easily mistaken for Piper Betle by many in the West. But there's a few things to keep in mind.
  • Piper Sarmetosum is an erected shrub-like plant. Stand at about 15" above ground. Have offshoots sucker vine with continuous growth.
  • Stalks has a very noticeable swollen nodes.
  • Mature leave is darker than those of Piper Betle.
  • Its leave is mildly taste vs a strong peppery taste of the Piper Betle.
  • It has a better proportioned heart shape leave whereas Piper Betle has a more pointy elongate heart shape.
  • It has a broader V shap at beginning of leaves at start of mid. rib
  • Lastly, at mature stage Piper Lalot have a cluster of leaves at top, whereas Betle will have a continuous vine growths.



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