Culantro

Seasonality: Year round
Origin: Mexico/USA

Culantro is a leafy herb with dark green serrated leaves that is commonly used in Latin American, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian cuisine. It has a slightly bitter taste with a hint of citrus and is sometimes described as a cross between cilantro and parsley.

Culantro is used as a flavor booster for soups, stews, beans, rice and marinades. In Puerto Rico, it’s combined with garlic and onions to make a local variation of sofrito. Unlike cilantro, cilantro isn’t usually prepared fresh; however, it can be chopped and added as a garnish—but a little goes a long way!

To store, wash and wrap in a slightly damp paper towel, then store in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to 5 days.