Persicaria odorata herb is believed to repress sexual urges. A saying in Vietnamese states, ""rau răm, giá sống"" ("Vietnamese coriander, raw bean sprouts"), which refers to the common belief that Vietnamese coriander reduces sexual desire, while bean sprouts have the opposite effect. Many Buddhist monks grow coriander in their private gardens and eat it frequently, believing it helps them remain celibate. Persicaria odorata Persicaria odorata, known as rau răm or Vietnamese coriander, is an herb whose leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking. Other names for this herb include Vietnamese mint, Vietnamese cilantro, Cambodian mint, hot mint, laksa leaf, and praew leaf.
Herb Tarlek characters like Herb were more interesting to write for than a more self-assured character like Jennifer Marlowe. Another staff writer, Steven Kampmann, recalled that he liked writing for Herb because he was one of the few characters on the show with a wife and family, which added more dimensions to his character. Frank Bonner directed six episodes of the series. The role of Herb Tarlek was originally offered to the character actor Rod McCary, but he turned it down to appear in another series. It is unknown why the show's writers gave him the surname "Tarlek", which is not a