#PiperInterruptum

Sakaan, a spicy, aromatic vine from the Piper genus, has long held a special place in Thai and Southeast Asian healing and cuisine. Known in Thai as sakaan, and also called takan lek or takan yang, it has passed through generations of folk practitioners as both flavor enhancer and remedy. As modern science turns attention to herbal medicine, sakaan offers a lens on its cultural significance and the evolving evidence behind its traditional uses.

For centuries, the spicy, aromatic vine known as สะค้าน (sakaan)—derived from the species Piper interruptum, Piper ribesioides, and Piper wallichii—has occupied a unique place in Thai and Southeast Asian herbal tradition. Sometimes called ตะค้านเล็ก or ตะค้านหยวก, this plant has been handed down through generations of healers as both a culinary delight and a medicinal powerhouse. Now, as the scientific community shines a modern spotlight on herbal medicine, sakaan invites us to examine its rich cultural tapestry as well as the emerging evidence behind its traditional uses.