Culantro (Rau Ngò Gai) has a unique, slightly astringent flavor and is a popular herb in many traditional Vietnamese dishes. With its distinctive serrated leaves and unique aroma, culantro is often used in sour soups (canh chua), salads (gỏi), and simple family meals.
This herb is rich in Vitamin C and fiber, and also has internal cooling and detoxifying properties. Culantro is very easy to grow, thrives in hot and humid weather, and is a familiar choice in Vietnamese family gardens.
Choose culantro to fully preserve the rustic flavor of Vietnam right in your kitchen.
Culinary Applications and Health Benefits
1. Neutralizing Fishy Odor and Stimulating Appetite
- Odor Neutralization: The unique essential oil of culantro helps effectively neutralize the fishy odor of seafood.
- Appetite Stimulation: Helps stimulate the palate, increasing the richness and deliciousness of the dish.
2. Enhancing Digestion and Intestinal Health
- Digestive Support: Contains enzymes that aid in better protein digestion.
- Intestinal Protection: Natural antibacterial properties help protect the intestinal tract from infections.
Suggested Signature Dishes
1. Unique Dipping Sauce
- Culantro tamarind fish sauce: Excellent when used with Vietnamese sizzling pancakes (bánh xèo) and grilled spring rolls (nem nướng).
- Culantro chili sauce: Served with fish cake and fried tofu with vermicelli (bún).
2. Perfect Combination with Seafood
- An indispensable seasoning for dishes like vermicelli with crab paste (bún riêu cua) and sour fish soup (canh chua cá lóc/cá basa).
- Used in banana flower salad and green papaya salad.
3. Traditional and Modern Salads (Gỏi)
- Western-style culantro and shrimp salad.
- Served with grilled rice paper and dipping sauce.
