Culantro is an herb that is similar to cilantro in flavor and aroma, but it looks very different. The plant has long, serrated leaves and looks similar to lettuce instead of parsley. Culantro has a stronger flavor and therefore it can be used in smaller amounts and culatro’s flavor holds up to heat so it can be added at any time during cooking. Culantro is used in cuisine from Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Asia. It’s an ingredient in authentic sofrito sauce! Aji dulce peppers are also an ingredient for sofrito sauce.
Planting/Harvesting Notes
- This plant is a member of the carrot/dill family and has a fragile tap root. Take care when handling this plant to ensure your transplantation is successful.
- Transplant in place with partial shade and well draining soil.
- This plant is sensitive to cold but will overwinter multiple years indoors if grown in a container. A half gallon container (6in diameter or so) works perfect for this plant.
Seed Saving
The plant will send up multi-forked stalks once it is ready to flower. The flowers will be yellow when they bloom but they will dry on the stalk and turn brown. Once the flowers are completely dry, crumble the flower heads into a brown paper bag. Store the seeds in a labeled paper envelope.