What Are Recao Leaves and How Do You Use Them?

Recao is a potent, aromatic herb central to various global cuisines, particularly in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Botanically known as Eryngium foetidum, it is a tropical perennial herb with common names including culantro, shadow beni, and Mexican coriander. Native to the Americas and the West Indies, this plant is a staple ingredient prized for its strong flavor and aroma.

Identifying Recao

Recao is easily distinguished by its unique physical characteristics. The plant grows in a basal rosette, meaning the leaves radiate from a central point at the soil level. These leaves are long, slender, and dark green with distinctly serrated or spiny edges, resembling dandelion leaves. Its powerful and pungent aroma is far more intense than that of its well-known relative, cilantro, and the flavor is a concentrated version of cilantro but with more pronounced earthy and citrusy notes.

A direct comparison with cilantro highlights the significant differences between the two herbs. Visually, they are unalike; recao has long, tough, serrated leaves, while cilantro has delicate, feathery, and soft leaves.

Culinary Applications

Recao’s robust flavor forms the backbone of many dishes. Its most famous application is in Puerto Rican sofrito, a cooking base fundamental to the island’s cuisine. In sofrito, recao leaves are blended with aromatics like garlic, onions, and peppers to create a fragrant paste used to season recipes from rice and beans to stews.

The herb’s use extends beyond the Caribbean. In Vietnamese cuisine, it is known as ngò gai and is a common addition to soups like pho. Throughout Latin America, it is chopped into marinades for meats, simmered in stews, and stirred into rice dishes. Because its flavor does not diminish with heat, it is often added at the beginning of cooking to fully infuse a dish.

Sourcing and Storage

Fresh recao can be found in Latin American or Asian grocery stores, where it is sold in bunches, often under the name “culantro.” Look for vibrant, green, and firm leaves without any signs of yellowing or wilting. To store it, wrap unwashed leaves in a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer preservation, chop the leaves, place them in an ice cube tray with water or olive oil, and freeze the cubes to add directly to dishes.

Growing Recao at Home

Cultivating recao at home is possible in warmer climates or indoors. This herb prefers conditions that mimic its native tropical environment: partial shade, consistently moist soil, and high humidity. Planting it in a location that receives morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal, as full sun can cause the leaves to become tough and encourage the plant to bolt prematurely.

Recao can be grown from seeds, which should be sown shallowly in well-draining soil enriched with organic matter. The seeds require light to germinate, so they should only be lightly pressed into the soil surface rather than buried. As a biennial plant, recao completes its life cycle in two years, typically flowering in the second.