Culantro is good, but not that good”, as the saying goes.
I confess that as a child culantro was not something I liked at all (yes, I know, blasphemy) and, although it was always an inextricable part of my daily life, I did not come to appreciate it until much later.
This herb is tied to our cultural fiber, forming part of that flavor profile so characteristic of our most traditional dishes.
Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) is native to the American continent, in the expanse of land we know today as Mexico to the north, and extends to the Brazilian Amazon in the south. In one way or another it occupies a place in the culinary of each country in its endemic territory, but in Panama it takes an unparalleled leading role as it is part of the vast majority of our traditional dishes, including sancocho and tamale stews.
Culantro leaves are rich in iron, calcium and carotene. They are also used in some cultures for problems such as constipation, fever, lack of appetite and, in places like Jamaica, it is also used as a natural medicine to control convulsions (although many scientific studies are still lacking to prove the veracity of this benefit).
Although it is often confused with coriander in other latitudes because of its similar aroma, coriander is much more potent in smell and flavor, in addition to better sustaining these properties in the cooking process, unlike cilantro, which loses most of its aroma when cooked.
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