Spicing Things Up: 3 Staple Herbs of Latin American Cuisine

Learning about Latin American food can be exciting and intimidating in equal measure. Ingredients span cultures, cuisines, and are often steeped in centuries of context.

Many popular and lesser-known Latin American culinary herbs can be found growing right here in our Hispanic Culinary Garden, designed, reviewed, and planted by Alyssa Carwardine, Horticulturist, and dedicated volunteers from Casa ALBA Melanie. This area located in the Herb Display Garden includes specific herbs used in salsa roja, a popular dish loaded with tomatoes, herbs, and spices.

Here’s a brief introduction to just a handful of them!

Cilantro

Cilantro is a popular yet polarizing herb known for its bright flavor. While it has undeniably found a home in Latin American cuisine, most people don’t know that it’s actually not native to the continent.⁵

Cilantro, also known as coriander, is indigenous to areas of the Mediterranean and Middle East. Its use has spanned empires as it was first recorded as an herb used for cooking by the Romans in 5,000 BCE.⁵ Unfortunately, cilantro was brought to Mexico and Peru by Spanish conquistadors.³

Today, cilantro leaves and coriander seeds have become a staple of many Asian and European dishes.⁵ It has also found a home in cuisines of the African diaspora.⁶

Cilantro is nearly ubiquitous in Latin American food and is a key flavor in iconic dishes like Mexican salsa verde and Peruvian aji verde.

Culantro

Not to be confused with cilantro, culantro is an herb that is native to and widely used throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. It can also be found in Asian cuisines, particularly those of Korea and India.⁷ Despite its popularity, it’s still largely unknown outside of immigrant communities in the United States.

Culantro has a more pungent flavor than cilantro, and it’s often used in smaller quantities as a flavor base or garnish. It’s incredibly common in Puerto Rican cuisine where it’s added to dishes found throughout Latin America. It’s also a primary ingredient in Puerto Rican sofrito.⁷

Epazote

Epazote is a pre-colonial Latin American herb that’s most common in Mexican cuisine. It’s often described as tasting peppery or minty,¹ and is known to reduce gas. Because of this it’s a popular addition to bean dishes, but it can also be found in other traditional foods, like huitlacoche quesadillas.²

Epazote has a long history of medicinal use, and can be made into tea to ease gas and aid in digestion.⁴ However, large amounts of epazote are known to be toxic.¹

Hopefully, you’ve learned a thing or two about just a few of the herbs of Latin American cuisine. Food is ancestral and cultural; each dish has a history. If you’re looking to learn more about Latin American cuisine, a visit to your public library is a great next step! With a vast array of resources authored by cultural community members, you’re sure to find reliable information to deepen your understanding of and appreciation for global cuisines.

Sources

1. “Epazote (Dysphania Ambrosioides).” UIC Heritage Garden. Accessed July 22, 2024. http://heritagegarden.uic.edu/epazote.  
2. Glueck, Rachel, and Noel Morales. The Native Mexican Kitchen: A Journey Into Cuisine, Culture, and Mezcal. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing, 2020. 
3. Mahr, Susan. “Cilantro/Coriander, Coriandrum Sativum.” Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension. Accessed July 23, 2024. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/cilantro-coriander-coriandrum-sativum/. 
4. Mahr, Susan. “Cilantro/Coriander, Coriandrum Sativum.” Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension. Accessed July 23, 2024. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/cilantro-coriander-coriandrum-sativum/. 
5. Petruzzello, Melissa. “Coriander.” Encyclopædia Britannica, May 29, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/plant/coriander
6. Poon, Linda. “Chermoula: From North Africa to the White House to Your Table.” NPR, August 8, 2014. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2014/08/08/338372800/chermoula-from-north-africa-to-the-white-house-to-your-table. 
7. Ramcharan, Christopher. “Culantro: A much utilized, little understood herb.” Perspectives on new crops and new uses(1999): 506-509.