Have you ever wondered What is Recao? This herb is not very well known but is one of the essential in Puerto Rican and Caribbean food.
If you are thinking what is recao? This is probably because you stumbled upon a recipe that requires this amazing herb.
It is scientifically known as Eryngium foetidum but is commonly found as Culantro or long-leaf coriander. In Puerto Rico, we call it recao, in Brazil it is known as chicória do Pará and in Trinidad and Tobago, it is known as Chado Beni. Recao o culantro is a long skinny leaf that has a serrated border. Green in color and very strong in flavor.
The Culantro is native to Latin America and Asia where it is widely available and used in many of their recipes.
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What does Recao Taste like?
When raw this is a herb that is very aromatic and strong in taste so is usually cooked before consumed. On the other hand, when cooked it has a herby, almost lemony taste that just adds to your dish making it better.
How To Use Recao?
Recao can be used in almost any savory dish in so many ways. In Puerto Rico, the recao is one of the main ingredients in the Puerto Rican cooking base sofrito. I like to add it to all of my rice recipes whenever I have it available. It is especially good in my Puerto Rican yellow rice and beans.
You can also add it to soups, stews, and even fried foods like the Puerto Rican bacalao. In Trinidad and Tobago, they make a sauce with it and it can be used to put on top of meats and even mix in with mayonnaise for sandwiches.
Is Recao the same as Cilantro?
The short answer is simply no. Recao is one whole long green leaf while Cilantro looks like 3 little leaves in one plus it will have multiple clusters of leaves in one stem. In taste, they are different in that Cilantro has a milder taste when raw.
Where To Buy Culantro?
It might be hard getting your hands on a bunch of Recao. If you live in a region where it grows then it will be easily found in your local market. When you live in an area where recao doesn’t grow your best bet is a Latin or Asian supermarket. There you will most likely find it.
Common Questions
Even though they are different, surprisingly there are times depending on the dish that they can substitute for each other. But you must remember that Recao is stronger so you will need a little more cilantro to achieve a similar strong flavor.
There are many ways in which you can store it. First, If you want to use it within two weeks then simply put it in a jar with water, cover it with a bag, and put it in your fridge. You can also blend it with oil and it will last longer in it.
First, dry the leaves and store them in a freezer bag in your freezer for no more than 1 month. They tend to lose potency the more you leave them there. That’s why I don’t recommend a longer freezing time. The way I have stored them for the longest has been to chop them, blend them in oil, and make them into ice cubes.
Recipes Where You Can Use Recao
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Edgar Mièles says
Culantro and Cilantro are exactly the same plant. The original form “coriandrum” evolved into culantro or cilantro depending on the Spanish province and the respective dialect (Castile, Leon, Galicia, Cataluña, Andalusia, etc.) This herb is known to Europeans since Antiquity, from India to the Mediterranean, introduced to Spain by the Moors. However, Recao is a pre-Columbian tropical herb native to the American tropics, completely unknown by either Spaniard nor their Spanish language. Still today it is unknown in Europe. Recao , or “Eryngium Foetidum” ,is known in the the American tropics by a long list of names, including by the inappropriate and erroneous Mexican Culantro.
Stephenie says
Recao is so versatile and delicious in food. I also used to grow recao and I am amazed at how quickly spreads! My grandma would boil it and drink the water because she said it lower her blood pressure. Thank you for visiting!
zonia says
I grow recao and many other herbs and roots. Recao wouldn’t grow f
or the longest time it wouldn’t grow and now is all over and I love it. I use for tea, too with other herbs and use the water for cooking.