Eryngium foetidum
Culantro | |
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Eryngium foetidum leaves, with a US ruler for scale | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Apiales |
Family: | Apiaceae |
Genus: | Eryngium |
Species: | E. foetidum
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Binomial name | |
Eryngium foetidum | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Eryngium foetidum is a tropical
In the United States, the common name culantro sometimes causes confusion with cilantro, a common name for the leaves of Coriandrum sativum (also in Apiaceae but in a different genus), of which culantro is said to taste like a stronger version.[4]
Uses
Culinary
Eryngium foetidum is widely used in seasoning, marinating and garnishing in the Caribbean (particularly in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago), as well as El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, and in Brazil's and Peru's Amazon regions. It is also used extensively as a culinary herb in the North-Eastern States of India, (Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim), Cambodia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, southwestern China and other parts of tropical Asia.[5] It is sometimes used as a substitute for coriander leaves, but has a stronger taste. Unlike coriander, Eryngium foetidum dries well, retaining good color and flavor, which makes it valuable in the dried herb industry.
In the United States, E. foetidum grows naturally in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.[6]
Traditional medicine
This section needs more primary sources. (August 2014) |
Eryngium foetidum 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.[7]
Eryngium foetidum is also known as E. antihystericum.[8] The specific name antihystericum reflects the fact that this plant has traditionally been used for epilepsy.[9] The plant is said to calm a person's 'spirit' and thus prevents epileptic 'fits', so is known by the common names spiritweed and fitweed. The anticonvulsant properties of this plant have been scientifically investigated.[10] A decoction of the leaves has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in rats.[11]
Eryngial (trans-2-dodecenal) is the main constituent of essential oil of E. foetidum.[12] The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, has investigated the use of eryngial as a treatment for human Strongyloides stercoralis infection (strongyloidiasis).[13]
It is used as an
Chemistry
Qualitative analysis of the leaves demonstrated the presence of
See also
- Cuban cuisine
- Cuisine of the Dominican Republic
- List of culinary herbs and spices
- Mizo cuisine
- Puerto Rican cuisine
- Thai cuisine
- Trinidad and Tobago cuisine
- Vietnamese cuisine
References
- ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ^ "Eryngium foetidum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
- ^ "Culantro". WorldCrops. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ Ramcharan, C. (1999). "Culantro: A much utilized, little understood herb". In: J. Janick (ed.), Perspectives on new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, Virginia; p. 506–509.
- ^ a b Singh BK, Ramakrishna Y and Ngachan SV. 2014. Spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.): A commonly used, neglected spicing-culinary herb of Mizoram, India. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 61 (6): 1085-1090.
- ^ Distribution of Eryngium foetidum in the United States United States Department of Agriculture
- ^ PMID 21062639.
- ^ "Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants".
- ^ Culantro. "Herbalpedia" (PDF). The Herb Growing & Marketing Network. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
- PMID 3739342.
- S2CID 196406564.
- ^ Yarnell, A. "Home Field Advantage" Chemical & Engineering News, June 7, 2004. Volume 82, Number 23, p. 33.
- S2CID 206247805.
- ^ "Web of Science Beta". www.webofscience.com. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
External links
- Media related to Eryngium foetidum at Wikimedia Commons
- Long coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.) page from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages