Produce Briefs...
Orange Honeydew Melon
Oval-to-round and a delicious cross between a cantaloupe and a honeydew, the very fleshy juicy orangish-yellow pulp of the orange honeydew melon is encased in a hard very yellow matching rind.
Italian Black Summer Truffles
Black summer truffles are more subtle than the winter variety. Shave truffle over cooked potatoes, toss with herbs and a shallot vinaigrette. Thinly shave truffle over scrambled eggs.
Seasons/Availability
Culantro is available year round.
Current Facts
Culantro is often referred to as spiny or serrated coriander, common names that are also descriptive of the plant. Culantro should not be confused with cilantro. Although related, the appearance of culantro and cilantro are very different, culantro is more pungent and only the leaf aromas are similar.
Description/Taste
Measuring up to ten inches in length, culantro's vibrant, glossy and rich green leaves are harmlessly thorny and serrated - each tooth producing a small yellow spine. Culantro is very slow to grow as each leaf emanates from the base of the plant; there are no stems from which multiple leaves may flourish.
Nutritional Value
Culantro is rich in iron, carotene, riboflavin and calcium.
Applications
Culantro's harvested leaves are widely used as a fresh herbaceous food flavoring and seasoning for meat and vegetable dishes, chutneys, preserves and sauces. It is a favored herb for tearing up and adding to hot bowls, specifically pho noodle soup.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
A common herb used in Asian, Latin American and Caribbean cuisines, culantro is increasingly becoming a globally traded crop to meet the demands of ethnic populations in the developed countries of the West, specifically large immigrant communities in London, New York, and Toronto.
Geography/History
Culantro is a biennial herb indigenous to continental tropical America and the West Indies. It grows naturally throughout many Caribbean islands including Trinidad and Tobago, where it is abundant in forests particularly in disturbed areas as in slash and burn sites. The herb is also commonly found along moist or shaded pathways and near cultivated areas where heavy soils predominate. Outside of its ethnic communities, it is relatively unknown in the United States.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Beaumont's | San Diego CA | 858-459-0474 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Culantro. One
is easiest, three is harder.
