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Chadon beni or shado beni is a herb with a robust pungent scent and taste that’s used extensively in Caribbean cooking, extra so Trini cooking. The scientific identify for the herb is ‘Eryngium foetidum’ however in Trinidad and Tobago the favored “market” names for chadon beni are culantro or bhandhania.
Culantro is distinct from cilantro or coriander (one other herb) which carries the scientific identify ‘coriandrum sativum‘ and shouldn’t be confused. The confusion comes from the similarity within the two herbs’ scents. The distinction between Chadon beni (or culantro) and cilantro is that chadon beni (or culantro) has a stronger and extra pungent scent. It must also be famous that chadon beni belongs to the botanical household Apiaceae the place parsley, dill, fennel, and celery, additionally belong to this botanical household. An fragrant household at that I’d additionally add!
The plant goes by quite a lot of different names such false coriander, black benny, fitweed, duck-tongue herb, noticed leaf herb, sawtooth coriander, spiny coriander, and lengthy coriander. In Hindi it’s known as ‘Bhandhanya’. Totally different nations even have its personal identify for this herb. Some examples are:
- Alcapate (El Salvador)
- Cilantro extranjero, cilantro habanero, parejil de tabasco (Mexico)
- Ngo gai (Vietnam)
- Pak chi farang or pak chee (Thailand)
- Racao or recao (Puerto Rico and Spain)
- Sea holly (Britain)
- Jia yuan qian (China)
- Fitweed or spiritweed (Jamaica)
- Langer koriander (Germany)
- Stinkdistel (Netherland)
- Culantro, Shado beni or Chadon beni (Trinidad and Tobago)
In Trinidad and Tobago, virtually all our recipes name for chadon beni. The herb is extensively used to taste many dishes and is the bottom herb used when seasoning meat. It’s utilized in marinades, sauces, bean dishes, soups, chutneys, snacks, and with greens. One standard chutney we like to make on the island is “Chadon Beni Chutney” which is often served with a favorite trini snack referred to as pholourie (pronounced po-lor-rie). In the event you can not discover culantro at your market, you may at all times substitute it with cilantro, however you’ll have to improve the quantity of cilantro used, or seek for it by its many names as listed above.
The leaves of the chandon beni are spear like, serrated, and stiff spined and the darkish, inexperienced, shiny leaves are typically 3-6 inches lengthy. Every plant has a stalk, often 16 inch tall, with smaller prickly leaves and a cone formed greenish flower. When harvesting the herb’ s leaves a lot care must be taken as a result of the prickly leaves of the flower could make your pores and skin itch. However that may simply be combated by carrying gloves or gently transferring apart the flower stalk whereas choosing the the leaves.
The leaves of the chadon beni are additionally wealthy in iron, carotene, riboflavin, and calcium, and are a wonderful supply of vitamin A, B and C. This herb additionally has medicinal properties. The leaves of the plant are a superb treatment for hypertension, and epilepsy. In some Caribbean nations it’s referred to as fitweed due to its anti-convulsant properties. It’s a stimulant and has anti-inflamatory and analgestic properties. As a matter of reality, the entire plant could possibly be used to remedy headache, diarrhea, flu, fever, vomiting, colds, malaria, constipation, and pneumonia.
Chadon beni grows higher in sizzling humid climates. It may be grown from the seed, however it’s sluggish to germinate. This plant must get full solar to half shade, and positioned in fertile, moist, and well-drained soil.
That is one in all my favourite herbs in cooking and with such flavorful and well being qualities, I can not do with out this straightforward however extraordinary herb.
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Source by Felix Padilla