What Is Pandan? The Asian Vanilla with a Natural Vibrant Green Hue
Often described as the “Vanilla of the East,” Pandan is a spiky, tropical plant that is currently moving from a regional Southeast Asian staple to a global innovation powerhouse. With its vibrant emerald hue and intoxicating aroma, it offers a rare combination of sensory "wow factor" and functional health benefits.
But what makes this plant the next big thing for 2026? Let’s dive into why Pandan is the ingredient innovators should look out for.
An Introduction to Pandan’s Vibrant Green Hue
Pandan, or Pandanus, is a tropical plant that grows in tropical and subtropical regions. It’s a short shrub of around 1.2m in height and 6-cm width with striking green color. In Asia it’s also known as Pandan Wangi or fragrant pandan.
The name Pandan Wangi describes why this plant is beloved by locals in Asia: its intoxicating scent. In fact, the leaves are often used for its aroma in many different applications around Asia. For example, aside from food and beverages, it’s also used in potpourri for weddings and rituals.
In addition to its striking color and fragrance, Pandan has potential health benefits. It’s been used traditionally to relieve ailments. Pandan is high in iron as well as a good source for vitamin A and fiber. Moreover, it has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
As more people get to know pandan and its prospect as a functional food and natural colorant, the plant will soon gain traction as a global ingredient.
What Does Pandan Taste Like?
If you enjoy some freshly popped popcorn, you’ll love pandan.
Some describe pandan’s flavor as nutty and warm with hints of vanilla, coconut, floral, and a touch of fresh-cut grass. This “taste” comes from pandan’s aromatic compounds.
The aromatic compound being 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, found in the most commonly used Pandan variety - Pandanus amaryllifolius. It’s also found in fragrant rice which gives them that “freshly-popped popcorn” aroma.
This makes pandan perfect for many different applications:
- Savory routes: Pandan is traditionally used as wraps for meat dishes, infusion in rice dishes, and additional scent in warm stews
- Sweet routes: The plant is used in pandan chiffon cake, kaya or jam, and as infusion in cold drinks (traditional, lattes, and cocktails)
Why Pandan is Your 2026 Innovation Hero
As we’ve covered in our 2026 trend watch, pandan can be your innovation hero for the year. Pandan fits the “clean label” category, as long as you choose naturally derived pandan products.
The plant serves as the answer for natural colorant, providing a beautiful green hue for your products. It also fits the global fusion narrative as it presents a new, exotic flavor for the market. Furthermore, pandan contains nutritional properties, which is perfect for those trying to develop a functional food product line.
This presents plenty of opportunity to use pandan as a precursor to your product innovation:
- Functional healthy drinks
- Ready-to-eat low calorie snacks and desserts
- Natural colorants for all your clean-label product innovation
Why Choose Tripper
Our Python Pandan is sourced directly from Indonesia, in the island of Java; carefully grown by our partner farmers. Here are some of the advantages of partnering with Tripper:
- Traditionally cured at the source, preserving pandan’s natural aroma and flavor
- Unparalleled traceability and single origin source. We are able to control our product with in-house processing, allowing you to track your pandan source from farm to finished goods
- Our Pandan Extract Powder has 100% solubility, precise extraction process, and superior shelf life. This ensures batch-to-batch consistency in flavor, quality, and potency across all applications
- We use 100% natural ingredients to produce our Pandan Extract Powder, ready to complement your clean label innovation
- Ethical and trusted sourcing. We are audited by SMETA and certified in FSC22000, KLBD, and Halal
Final Take: The Future is Green
Pandan isn't just a flavor; it’s an experience that bridges ancient tradition with modern, healthy indulgence. Just as Matcha and Ube took the world by storm, Pandan will soon rise with the increasing demands for natural ingredients and exotic flavors.
Ready to innovate and use the Asian Vanilla to your advantage? Get in touch with our team for more information.
FAQs
What is the flavor of pandan?
Pandan has been described as sweet, floral, sweet, with grassy and coconut undertones and is dubbed as Asian vanilla due to their similarities.
Is pandan flavoring healthy?
If you’re using 100% natural pandan, yes it’s healthy. It contains antioxidants and minerals which may support your health. On the other hand, artificial flavoring does not possess these health benefits and is merely used for taste.
How do you store pandan?
To store fresh pandan leaves, keep them wrapped in damp paper towels inside your fridge for up to a week or freeze them for up to 6 months. If you have pandan extracts or extract powders, keep them someplace cool, dry, and dark.
Does pandan taste like matcha?
Although both have grassy undertones, pandan has a taste more similar to vanilla and coconut as it’s also sweet, nutty, and floral. On the other hand, matcha can be bitter and needs sugar to exude sweetness.
What pairs well with pandan?
Pandan is very versatile and can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. It can be paired with tropical fruits such as coconuts, mangoes, and passionfruits. It’s also great with warm spirits like rum. In savory dishes, you can pair pandan with ginger and coconut milk or curry-based recipes. In desserts, it goes well with vanilla and coffee.