Pak Chi farang | ชีฝรั่ง | Eryngium foetidum
Family: Apiaceae - Genus: Eryngium
The culantro plants pop up everywhere at the premises of Eco-Logic and TCDF: in the gardens, alongside the paths, even in the cracks of the cement of the staircases!
Culantro is an erect, tropical perennial plant growing from 20 - 80cm tall from a taproot.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine, It is cultivated as a coriander-like flavoring.
The leaves forming a basal rosette, saw-toothed, up to 30 centimeter x 4 centimeter; the flowers are widely spreading from the main shoot; flower heads are cylindrical ca 1.5 centimeter long, green, subtended by a whorl of 5- 6 unequal bracts.
Culantro is also known as Mexican coriander, long coriander, spirit weed, fit weed and sawtooth coriander. The name culantro sometimes causes confusion with cilantro, a common name for the leaves of Coreander, of which culantro is said to taste like a stronger version.
Culantro is growing and blooming everywhere, all year round.
THE PLANT
Culantro is an erect, tropical perennial plant growing from 20 - 80cm tall from a taproot.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine, It is cultivated as a coriander-like flavoring.
THE LEAVES
The leaves of the Culantro form a basal rosette, are saw-toothed, and can grow up to 30 centimeter x 4 centimeter.
THE FLOWERS
The Culantro flowers are widely spreading from the main shoot; flower heads are cylindrical ca 1.5 centimeter long, green, subtended by a whorl of 5- 6 unequal bracts.
CULINARY USES
Culantro is widely used in seasoning, marinating and garnishing in Cambodia, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and other parts of Asia as a culinary herb. It dries well, retaining good color and flavor, making it valuable in the dried herb industry. It is sometimes used as a substitute for coriander, but it has a much stronger taste.
Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be steamed and served with rice. They are more commonly used as a flavoring in foods such as soups, curries, stews and rice dishes. The leaves have a flavor somewhat like a strong coriander, but with a much tougher texture and need to be cut finely and preferably cooked for at least a few minutes.
The root is used as a flavoring in soups. Although the raw root has an offensive odor, it adds a very agreeable flavor to the food.
Seed can be used as a flavoring.
NUTRITION
Culantro is reported to be rich in calcium, iron, carotene, and riboflavin. Fresh leaves are 86–88% moisture, 3.3% protein, 0.6% fat, 6.5% carbohydrate, 1.7% ash, 0.06% phosphorus, and 0.02% iron.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USE OF NEEDLE FLOWER
NOTE: please take advice from a doctor if you are planning to use herbal medicine.
Culantro has been used in traditional medicine in tropical regions for burns, earache, fevers, hypertension, constipation, fits, asthma, stomachache, worms, infertility complications, snake bites, diarrhea, and malaria
The plant is also known as E. antihystericum The specific name antihystericum reflects the fact that this plant has traditionally been used for epilepsy. The plant is said to calm a person's 'spirit' and thus prevents epileptic 'fits', so is known by the common names spirit weed and fit weed.
The plant is boiled and the water used for a herbal bath or as a medication for chicken pox and measles.
INTO THE WILD: a down to earth experience
For guests and visitors to Paksong we organize weekly tours "The Edible Forest" and Foraging weekends: Into the Wild. We work with local guides to take you in the jungle of Paksong. After foraging, we will cook a meal with the ingredients, using bamboo together with you!
Come and join and learn about the abundance of food that nature gives us!
INTO THE WILD!