A CLOSER LOOK
How to recognize it
Leafy stems of honglancao: Dicliptera tinctoria, also known botanically as Peristrophe bivalvis or P. roxburghiana.
In the kitchen
The strained leaf-and-stem extract colors glutinous rice red to purple.
Color varies with the plant material and extraction. This is not the indigo plant Strobilanthes cusia or safflower.
Ask about this ingredient
这道菜里有红蓝草（染饭茎叶）吗？
Does this dish contain Red-purple rice-coloring herb?
A few dishes to explore
These examples use this ingredient in typical or optional preparations. Open the dish to see the distinction; a restaurant’s recipe can differ.
