Culantro
Eryngium foetidum
Herbs & Roots. Caribbean and Latin American & Amazon.
Also called Shado beni, Chadon beni, Recao, Sawtooth coriander, Mexican coriander
Spanish: Culantro
A strong, sawtooth-leaved herb used in Caribbean and Latin American cooking, often in place of cilantro.
Did you know? Culantro often keeps growing in hot weather when cilantro bolts (goes to seed), which makes it a popular stand-in in the tropics.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Fever. Folk teas are used for fevers in the Caribbean. Lab and animal studies exist, but good human trials are lacking.Traditional proof
- Digestion & gut health. Used for stomach aches and gas in folk medicine. Human trials are missing.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Caribbean and Latin American folk healers used culantro tea for fevers, colds and stomach upset. Its leaves are a key part of sofrito-style cooking bases.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Diaphoretic, Carminative. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Fresh leaves chopped into soups, stews, rice and sauces. Tea is made by steeping leaves in hot water. No medicine dose is set.
Food and tea.
Where to get it
Native to tropical America and grown across the Caribbean, Central America and Southeast Asia. Sold as whole fresh leaves in Latin and Caribbean markets, and sometimes frozen.
Be careful
Culinary amounts are considered safe. Little safety testing exists for medicine doses. People allergic to carrot-family plants, such as parsley and celery, may react.
Avoid if: pregnancy (medicine doses).
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
A fresh herb often used with chili in salsas and Caribbean sauces.
- Works well together
Both are fresh leafy herbs used in Caribbean and Latin American dishes.
- Works well together
A base for sofrito-style sauces that often include culantro.
The honest take
Culantro is a flavorful herb with a real kitchen role in Caribbean and Latin cooking. Its fever and stomach uses rest on tradition and lab studies, not on good human trials. Enjoy it as food rather than as medicine.