This green leafy herb goes by many names and is native to Central America. But it is now grown and eaten throughout Southeast Asia and Latin America. In many larger cities of the U.S., you can find these at the ethnic markets.
The three most common name is Sawtooth coriander (since the edges have little harmless serrated teeth). Another is Mexican coriander or culantro. In Lao and Thai it’s call “Pak Chi Farang”. Scientific name: Eryngium foetidum.
Some say the taste resembles coriander, but I think it taste much more interesting. More like fennel, Asian cilantro and other herbs too. So it’s more like multiple herbs combined in one crispy green leaf. It’s also very fragrant.
And tends to make soups (especially Pho) become more lively and tasty too. The younger leaves are the best, but the bigger leaves are also tasty.
If anyone would like to try growing them, Sand Mountain Herbs has seed packets available for $2.50 (50 seeds).
Recommended growing Zones 11-13 and needs hot and humid weather to grow well. I’m thinking Florida or Hawaii. If planting in full sun, they need lots of water. But the plants will also grow well in shade too. The key to encouraging more leafy growth is to nip out the flower buds once it starts to form. But keep some flower so you can save as seeds for next year’s harvest.
Besides being used for cooking, the sawtooth coriander is also used as herbal medicines. It also dried very well and can be saved for later use like many other herbs.
In Southeast Asian countries, the herb is useful for upper respiratory complaints to gastric upsets. In India, the root can be eaten raw for scorpion stings and is used to alleviate stomach pains.
I don’t think I’ve encounter any herb with so many names as this one. Here is part of the name list (source):
Culantro, spiny or serrated coriander, shado beni, bhandhania, chadron benee, coulante (Haiti), recao, fit weed, azier la fièvre, chardon étoilé, Puerto Rican coriander, shado benni, false coriander, shadow-beni, stinkweed, fitweed, long coriander, mexican coriander, ngo gai, spiritweed, bhandhania, false corriander, ketumbar Java, thorny coriander, long corriander, German Langer Koriander, Mexicanischer Koriander, Black Benny, Saw leaf herb, Saw tooth coriander, Spiny coriander, Fitweed, Chardon étoile fétide, Panicaut fétide, Herbe puante, Coriandre mexicain; Coulante, Hindi Bhandhania, Bhandhanya, Hosszú koriander, Mexikói koriander, Puerto Ricó-i koriander, Indonesian Walangan, Khmer Chi banla, Chi baraing, Chi sangkaech, Chi pa-la, Chi farang, Laotian Phak Hom thet, Malay Ketumbar Jawa, Spanish Culantro, Recao, Racao, Shado beni; Chadron benee, Alcapate, Cilantro habanero, Cilantro extranjero, Mexikansk koriander, Thai Pak chi farang, Hom-pomkula, Mae-lae-doe, Phakchi farang, Ngo gai, Mui tau, Ngo tay.
7:09 pm on April 20th, 2010
Bo’s mom gave me 2 of this plant and they are doing well in my herb garden. I often use this for seasoning the Lao and Thai dishes. My GI Joe sister told me that it’s good with papaya salad, and I ate it like a leafy vegetable and it’s really good.
11:07 pm on April 20th, 2010
I like the ’sawtooth leaf blade’ as it cuts its way down through my GI tract while I’m ingesting it (nerdy thoughts again):)) Very nice herb to grow, did not know all those usages, thanks for sharing.
You’re right, it does like moist and shaded places.
11:25 am on April 22nd, 2010
Hi Nye,
I’m glad to hear it’s growing well in your garden zone. My mom planted these many years ago and she didn’t have much success. It likes really hot and humid conditions. I suppose NC summers must be very hot.
Hi PaNoy,
You have a vivid imagination. Luckily these plant blades are soft and harmless.
8:02 am on April 24th, 2010
Cambree, it’s very hot here in the summer, but not as hot and humid as in Laos, and the tropical plants seem to do well here.
8:37 pm on April 27th, 2010
Hi Nye,
At least I can see NC is good for gardening, so that’s a good thing.
I need to plan a trip to Biltmore Estate sometime in the future. Asheville, NC itself looks like a charming town. I believe the Obama’s were vacationing there recently.