Herb & Spice Companion

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HERB & SPICE COMPANION

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CULANTRO

Eryngium foetidum

Other common names: Mexican

coriander, culangot, or long

coriander

Flavors: pungent, sharp, earthy,

cilantro-like but stronger

Despite being a wildly popular herb in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Southeast

Asia, culantro is still under the radar in the United States, sold mostly in cities with

large Latin American or Caribbean pop-

ulations. It sounds and tastes somewhat

like its famous cousin, cilantro, and the

two herbs are often confused for those

reasons. But they shouldn’t be, as culan-

tro looks like a completely different herb

and is a completely different herb—with

its long, serrated leaves, stronger flavor,

and ability to withstand long cook times.

To add to the confusion, culantro

also goes by several other names, such

as long or spiny coriander, Mexican cori-

ander, Mexican cilantro, shado beni in

Trinidad, and recao in Central America.

In the Garden

Culantro, a perennial, is a warm-weather plant that thrives in containers. It grows the

most flavorful leaves when partially shaded from the sun. In peak summer tempera-

tures and under hot full sun, the plant will flower quickly and stop producing leaves;

so provide shade to keep those tasty leaves coming back.

Size: Up to 18 inches tall

Container: At least 4 inches deep and 8 inches in diameter, or 1 gallon

HEALTH BENEFITS

Widely used in South America and

the Caribbean as a medicinal herb,

culantro is commonly prepared as a

tea to treat indigestion, constipation,

gas, fever, and the flu. Its stomach-

calming effects help relieve diarrhea,

nausea, and vomiting. Known to

have anti-inflammatory and mild

pain-relieving abilities, it’s also been

used historically as a treatment

for epilepsy, as demonstrated in

the nicknames “fitweed” and

“spiritweed.”

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