Pandanus amaryllifolius

Pandanus amaryllifoliusis a tropical plant in thePandanus(screwpine)genus, which is commonly known aspandan(/ˈpændən/;Malay:[ˈpandan]). It has fragrant leaves which are used widely for flavouring in the cuisines ofSoutheast Asia. It is also featured in some South Asian cuisines (such asTamil cuisine) and inHainanese cuisinefromChina.
Pandanus amaryllifoliusis a truecultigen, and is believed to have been domesticated in ancient times. It is sterile and can only reproduce vegetatively through suckers or cuttings. It was first described from specimens from theMaluku Islands, and the rare presence of male flowers in these specimens may indicate that it is the origin of the species. However, as no other wild specimens have been found, this is still conjecture. The plant is grown widely throughout Southeast Asia and South Asia.
The characteristic aroma of pandan is caused by thearoma compound2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, found in the lower epidermal papillae;the compound giveswhite bread,jasmine rice, andbasmati rice(as well as bread flowersVallarisglabra) their typical smell.Though the plant is unknown in the wild, it is widely cultivated. It is an upright, green plant with fan-shaped sprays of long, narrow, blade-like leaves and woodyaerial roots. The plant is sterile, with flowers only growing very rarely, and is propagated by cuttings.
Thetasteof pandan has been described as floral,sweet,grassy, as well as likevanilla.It often has a subtle flavor or scent.
InSingapore,Cambodia,Malaysia,Indonesiaand thePhilippines, it is commonly calledpandanorpandan wangi(fragrant pandan). The green juice acquired from its leaf is used extensively inMalaysian cuisine,Indonesian cuisine, andPhilippine cuisineas greenfood colouringand flavouring agents that give a pleasant aroma to traditional cakes such askueandkakanin; includingklepon,kue putu,dadar gulung,lapis legit,pandan cake,buko pandansalad, andbuko pandan cake. The tied knot of bruised pandan leaf is also added into fragrantcoconut riceto enhance the aroma.
InSri Lanka, it is calledrampe(Sinhala:රම්පේ;Tamil:ரம்பை) and it is grown almost in every household. Most of the Sri Lankan dishes use these leaves for aroma along with curry leaves. In India it is calledannapurnaleaves; InOdisha, annapurna leaves are used to lend aroma to rice and pithas, inBangladesh, it is calledpulao pata(পোলাও পাতা); and in theMaldives, it is calledran’baaalong with the other variety of pandan there (Pandanus fascicularis), and is used to enhance the flavor ofpulao,biryani, and sweet coconut rice pudding, orpayeshif basmati rice is not used. It acts as a cheap substitute for basmati fragrance, as one can use normal, nonfragrant rice and with pandan the dish tastes and smells like basmati is used. 
The leaves are used either fresh or dried, and are commercially available in frozen form inAsian grocery storesof nations where the plant does not grow. They have a nutty, botanical fragrance that is used as a flavor enhancer in  many Asian cuisines, especially inricedishes, desserts, and cakes.
The leaves are sometimes steeped incoconut milk, which is then added to the dish. They may be tied in a bunch and cooked with the food. They may be woven into a basket which is used as a pot for cooking rice. Pandan chicken (Thai:ไก่ห่อใบเตย,romanized:kai ho bai toei), is a dish of chicken parts wrapped in pandan leaves and fried. The leaves are also used as a flavoring for desserts such aspandan cakeand sweet beverages. Filipino cuisine uses pandan as a flavoring in somecoconut milk-based dishes as well as desserts likebuko pandan.It is also used widely in rice-based pastries such assumanand numerous sweet drinks and desserts.
Pandan leaves and their extract have also been used as afood preservativedue to theirantibacterialandantifungalproperties (particularly againstmold).
In October 2017,celebrity chefNigella Lawsonpredicted that pandan would displace popularmatchaandavocado toast.While the plant’s visibility on social networks, especially in the United Kingdom, increased in 2017, there was also pushback against reports that described Lawson as "discovering" a "new" ingredient, as pandan has been widely used in Asia for a long time.
Bottled pandan extract is available in shops, and often contains greenfood coloring.
The leaves are used in the perfume industry andtraditional medicine.P. amaryllifoliusessence may substitute forvanilla essence.
Studies have established repellent activity ofP. amaryllifoliusagainst American cockroaches (Periplaneta americanaL.).
The leaves possess a pleasant aroma and can be used as natural air fresheners.In Thailand, cab drivers sometimes use pandan for this purpose.