what does pandan taste like

Pandan is a tropical Southeast Asian plant that is popular in South and Southeast Asian cuisines. Pandan leaves are sold fresh, frozen, and dried and can be used as a wrap for savory foods like chicken or sticky rice. The leaves give an aromatic note to these foods and they provide visual appeal. Pandan leaves taste naturally sweet and have a soft aroma. Its strong flavor is classified as grassy with notes of rose, almond, and vanilla, close to coconut. Pandan’s aroma is developed when a yellow pigment breaks down as the leaves wither, producing the volatile compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) . The compound is also found in fragrant rice varieties such as basmati and jasmine, and in the smell of popcorn and crabmeat. Raw Pandan has more of a grassy taste, but if you cook using some Pandan leaves, the flavor will be more pronounced. Pandan is not super flavorful, so it takes a bit of pandan to get a good flavor. Pandan can be used to flavor both savory and sweet dishes.