Cilantro substitution for Culantro

[larry_stewart]

I saw a recipe online in which they were making a sauce/ marinade to go over chicken.
the sauce looked really good.
Aside from other ingredients ( garlic, onion, peppers, tomatoes ...) it also called for a large bunch of Cilantro. Ultimately all blended up together.

I have had culantro in the past and remember it tasting very cilantro like.
I can easily get cilantro , but would be more difficult ( but not impossible) to get culantro ( it would call for driving around a bit to some of the local ethnic stores and hope hat its there).

So, my question is, can I substitute cilantro for culantro without there being a major difference in the final outcome?

Secondly, if I do substitute, are they equally potent in flavor . I vaguely remember culantro having a milder flavor than cilantro, so should I cut back the amount , and if so by what ratio?

(If I have to cut back significantly , I can always add in some spinach to act as a filler so the consistency isn't affected with minimal change in taste).

Its not a written recipe , it was on one of those traveling cooking shows type of thing, so I just kinda scribbled stuff down and hope for the best.

 

[larry_stewart]

I actually just read that Culantro is stronger than cilantro ( so I guess I got I mixed up).

 

[jennyema]

Culantro is stronger-tasting than cilantro, IMO. Similar but soewhat different tastes.

I can usually get culantro at my nearby asian supermarkets but Id not hesitate in subbing cilantro.

THe sauce looks good. I love cilantro!

 

[HeyItsSara]

never heard of that. i would have just assumed it was a typo

 

[pepperhead212]

The thing I have heard is that culantro keeps its flavor better when cooked. So if a recipe calls for adding it early on, I'd add cilantro instead at the very end, to keep its flavor.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Culantro grows wild in my garden. You can sub one for the other, no problem. In Trinidad & Tobago they call it shandon beni.
Difference in flavour? I´d say the culantro is slightly stronger, but I wouldn´t adjust a recipe unless I had to use 2-3 cupfuls!

 

[jennyema]

The thing I have heard is that culantro keeps its flavor better when cooked. So if a recipe calls for adding it early on, I'd add cilantro instead at the very end, to keep its flavor.

When I get Pho here in Boston they cook the cilantro in the broth and serve fresh culantro with the basil and bean sprouts as a garnish.

 

[JonasStax]

I never heard of Culantro, therefore; I consulted Wikipedia.

Cilantro (Coriander in the Asia regions and Australia, New Zealand)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriander

Culantro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eryngium_foetidum

From Wikipedia:

Eryngium foetidum is a tropical perennial herb in the family Apiaceae. Common names include culantro, recao, chadon beni (pronounced shadow benny), Mexican coriander, bhandhania, long coriander, sawtooth coriander, and ngò gai. It is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, but is cultivated worldwide, mostly in the tropics but sometimes being grown as an annual in temperate climates.

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), of which culantro is said to taste like a stronger version.

Depending on your location, the ethnic stores may sell it using alternative names.