Lesser known exotic herb cultivation ( Spiny Coriander / Culantro )

Farm Questions
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A lesser known and underutilised exotic herb of India but a common herb of North East is CULANTRO !

Eryngium foetidum is a slender, evergreen, branched perennial with fibrous roots and lanceolate leaves 4-6 inches long, which have spiny-toothed margins.
Eryngium foetidum is also called ,Spiny Coriender , Sawtooth Coriander , Culantro , Ban Dhania , Mexican Coriander,Mon Dhania , Bilati Dhonia , African Malli , Burma dhania etc .
This is a slender, evergreen, branched perennial with fibrous roots and lanceolate leaves 4-6 inches long, which have spiny-toothed margins.

This is a herb that was never cultivated in the North East till late nineties but was collected from wild and used as spice in different soups, curries, salads and meat dishes because of its sweet aromatic flavour and as a good appetiser.
Moreover, now it is extensively used in perfumery and cosmetic industries.

Culinary uses :

The appearance of Culantro and cilantro are different but the leaf aromas are similar, although culantro is more pungent. Because of this aroma similarity the leaves are used interchangeably in many food preparations and is the major reason for the misnaming of one herb for the other.

Spiny Coriender / Culantro has long been used in the Far East, Latin America, and the Caribbean cuisines .

In Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore Culantro is commonly used with or in lieu of cilantro and topped over soups, noodle dishes, and curries.

In Latin America, Culantro is mostly associated with the cooking style of Puerto Rico, where recipes common to all Latin countries are enhanced with cilantro and most popular and ubiquitous examples are salsa , sofrito or recaito sauces .

Medicinal uses :

Cultantro is reportedly found to be rich in calcium, iron, carotene, and riboflavin.
It is also interesting to note that Eryngium Foetidum is used extensively for medicinal purposes to combat fevers, stimulate appetite, improve digestion, combat colic and stomach pains, and as an aphrodisiac. The herb can also be eaten raw to relieve the inflammation. The fresh leaves when boiled and taken as tea serves as an antidote for flu, diabetes, constipation, and fevers.

In North East local farmers sells fresh herbs for Rs.10.00 per bundle of 3-4 plants .

Interested foreign vegetable growers / poly house cultivators can contact BHC Ventures through email : bhcv@ymail.com for local heirloom variety seed or sapling for commercial cultivation .

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Hi what is the price per kg?

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All the Allium species are most common edible plants in North east – Allim Hookeri ( hooker’s Onion ) , Allium fistulosum( welsh onion ) , Allium Chinensis ( chinese garlic chives ) *Allium wallichii ( Himalayan onion ) etc.
But not a single commercial mother seed / bulb producing company in North east for producing these exotic herb seeds or bulbs in bulk .
Local marginal farmers are the custodians of these indigenous seed / plant biodiversity.
Marginal farmers grows , sells and saves endless varieties of indigenous vegetables , crops , herbs plants .and mostly exchanges mother seeds bulbs , sapling etc with local farmers community .
I found only handful of farmers having surplus Welsh onion seed / bulbs and ready to sell for a high price .- Rs 400 for 1 tsp ( approx. 5-6 gms / 500-600 nos seeds ) and bulbs costs Rs 50 / Doz .for Welsh Onion . Courier charges will be extra .
Only Gati is operating courier services in the remote locations of North East and charging three times higher than our place. .
Welsh Oinon can be propagated through seed or bulb .
I’m trying to start a commercial mother seed / sapling producing network among marginal farmers of Northeast , once It’s ready by next year anyone can procure large quantity of lesser known exotic herb seeds / bulbs / saplings at reasonable price .