Comments on: Sawtooth Coriander

By: Beth

Beth — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 09:02:18 +0000

Fantastic, I just bought two of these for 35 each at the QC circle nurseries, but mind, only one stall was selling it and only a handful being sold. You may check out the photos under Philippine Urban Gardener FB page. Thanks for the info!

By: Pichi

Pichi — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 09:53:56 +0000

I stood in front of the grocery vegs for like 10 mins. trying to remember if cilantro is wansoy or kinchay. I ended up getting the one sold as “coriander” but it was twice as expensive and half the amount of the wansoy. Huhuhu.

By: Angelo

Angelo — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 17:15:59 +0000

Can you get culantro seedlings at the seedling bank?

By: mina

mina — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 03:18:19 +0000

Unfortunately, my boyfriend hates cilantro! It’s absolutely unbearable for him. Those of you who learned to love it— Do you have any tips on how he can do the same?

By: Mandy

Mandy — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:05:45 +0000

I was wondering, since cilantro is sold with the roots still intact– can they be replanted & survive? I got worried reading that cilantro will be hard to find now because of the rainy season. Heehee.

I also did not like cilantro at first, I thought it smelled like ipis. But having it Mexican or thai food, I learned to not just like it, I LOVE it! :)

By: Gej

Gej — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:09:57 +0000

To be honest, I’m not sure, Footloose. Terroir is one factor. It may be the “stress” it experienced (excessive heat/sun or cold/shade, excessive water, or the lack of) during growth. Heavily feeding herbs with chemical fertilizers also lessens their flavor. The organic method of growing is very much compatible with herbs in terms of maximizing flavor, but I’m not sure if it has same, or an inverse effect on smell.

By: Footloose

Footloose — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:03:42 +0000

So it is terroir dependent then. Thank you for the quick clarification.

By: Gej

Gej — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 14:39:31 +0000

Footloose, it was actually a customer complaint, that our culantro didn’t smell as strongly as cilantro (though he liked the flavor). One person’s complaint is another’s benefit.

But I continue to be a student, with still a lot to learn. It may be possible that the plant’s pungency may be heightened by certain climatic conditions, and, where I grow them, the conditions cause the smell to be more subdued.

By: Footloose

Footloose — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 14:23:23 +0000

@Gej, I take you as authority on anything herbs which makes all the info on culantro available in the www as false. All of the ones I came across claim that culantro is even more bedbuggy pungent than cilantro.

By: Gej

Gej — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 07:02:22 +0000

Those who do not like the pungent “surot” (bed bug) -like smell of cilantro might like it that kulantro does not exude as strong an odor/aroma. Kulantro also keeps very well in the chiller – easily 10 days or more, compared to cilantro, which starts to yellow after around 3 days.

The rainy season is definitely a challenge for growing cilantro (though coming up with funds to build greenhouses is a much greater challenge!) , as well as rosemary, thyme, and sage. They die after continuous exposure to moisture. But the kulantro is one of those year-round herbs that do not mind rain nor shade. For the rainy season sensitive herbs, it would be helpful to grow them by the side of the house, sheltered partly by the roof, or even better, growing them in pots that one can move around.

Going back to the more well-known cilantro, some people might not be aware that the fleshy base is the part of the plant that Thai cooks look out for the most because of the falvor. Lasts long in the chiller too.