Culantro looks and grows a bit like lettuce but tastes similar to cilantro. The flavor is very strong.
Culantro is an herb native to Mexico, Central, and South America which has a strong, aromatic scent that fills the air when you brush up against it. This easy-to-grow herb has many culinary uses in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian cuisine. It is a very popular herb in Panama, Puerto Rico, and other Latin-influenced areas. Although used in small amounts, its very strong flavor is used as a seasoning in a wide range of foods, including meats, vegetables, and chutneys. It goes by many names: long coriander, false coriander, culantro or recao (Spanish), langer koriander (German), ngo gai (Vietnamese), pak chi farang (Thai), and bhandhanya (Hindi). Like its close relative cilantro, the plant tends to stretch tall and go to seed in the lengthening days of spring. While culantro and cilantro look different, the leaf aromas are similar, although culantro is stronger. Although it is grown as an annual, it is actually biennial in areas warm enough to let it overwinter.
In the Garden
Growing culantro is like growing lettuce. You plant after frost in the spring. You pick individual leaves until summer’s long days and high temperatures arrive. Then culantro, like lettuce, grows out of its rosette, stretching upward with a fast-growing stalk that will bloom and set seeds. At this point, the plant is usually exhausted and dies. If the seeds are allowed to drop into the soil, it may reseed. However, in areas that experience freezing temperatures in winter, this tender tropical will be killed. Your best bet is to grow it in spring and cut off the flower stalk when it appears in order to encourage leafy growth, rather than flowers. It will eventually succeed in flowering, and when it does, the leaves will become somewhat tough and less appealing.
This culantro plant is going to seed, a signal that it will soon die back. To encourage leafy growth for a longer time, cut off the flower stalk as soon as you see it.
In Central America where it is native, culantro grows in partial shade on the edge of the forest. Gardeners have found that planting culantro in partial shade will result in larger leaves and a prolonged harvest. Plants growing in full sun will attempt to flower earlier than those in shade, shortening their useful lifespan.Space plants about 6 inches apart in soil that is well drained. Because you want leafy growth, a rich, organic soil is ideal. Add compost or dehydrated manure to give your plants a good start. Fertilize with timed-release granules to assure optimum growth.
Mulch plants to conserve soil moisture and to prevent soil from splashing onto the foliage. Water as needed to keep plants healthy.
This is not a plant to set out if there is any indication of a late frost, and it should be sheltered if you have one. Use a black nursery pot turned upside down on top of the plant to protect it. Be sure to remove it in the morning as soon as the temperature has risen.
To gather fresh leaves for use in the kitchen, cut the large outer leaves individually. However, if you plan to process and preserve culantro, use a knife to harvest the entire rosette at soil level.You can preserve the wonderful flavor by putting the leaves of culantro in a food processor with enough olive oil to moisten it. Once it is chopped, put the mixture into a freezer container, label it, and place it in the freezer. If you have any doubt, put a layer of olive oil on top to prevent freezer burn. Whenever you need culantro, use a knife to chip a bit of the chopped culantro out of its container.
Culantro can be used as you would use cilantro, although the flavor is a little different. A traditional use is to make recaito, a Caribbean sauce used as a condiment in numerous dishes.
