[Beachcomber_John]

I'm struggling to buy any and have been told about a product called Culantro, a perennial non bolting cilantro substitute.

I live in Spain and the heat here makes coriander bolt even more, so if anyone has grown and used this herb in cooking I would like to know.

Also where I could purchase the seeds from, I can have them delivered to an address in the UK and be shipped over.

Thanks, John.

[viettaclark]

I haven't heard of that name but surely a perennial will still flower?
I stick to growing the leaf corriander (cilantro) in Autumn....it's just not worth it when the temperatures are high. Mind you, I did sow some back in June and kept it in the shade and it didn't do much, just a couple of pickings. Now it's cooler it's growing like mad!!
Sown now it gives a good crop all Winter/Spring and flowers late Spring.
But that's here in England. Are your temperatures very different?

[Beachcomber_John]

Thanks for answering.

Taken from Wikipedia. E. foetidum is widely used in seasoning and marinating in the Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago. It is also used extensively in Thailand, India, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia as a culinary herb. This variety of coriander dries well, retaining good color and flavor, making it valuable in the dried herb industry. It is sometimes used as a substitute for cilantro, but it has a much stronger taste.

Our temps range from minimum 3c in winter to 40c plus in the summer but the continuous sunshine murders many plants. I didn't realise you could grow cilantro in winter in the UK, under glass and heated I presume?

I think the Culantro still flowers and seeds but doesn't have the bolting problem for some reason. I'll give it a go here then for the winter.

John.

[viettaclark]

I grow it OUTSIDE uncovered in tubs along the kitchen wall and it stays in for the Winter and gives a good Spring crop before bolting.

[sunshineband]

You might like to try growing it mainly in the shade in Spain as you are right, it does bolt very easily.

The variety I grew this year did make it through the early summer drought without bolting. I  cut it down in sections and let it grow up again and got three complete cuts like this.

It was an unnamed one from Carters Seeds

[Beachcomber_John]

Thank you all, I'll try to sow some and grow it for the winter, that may solve the bolting from strong sun. I will also try and get the culantro seeds too and give them ago, cheers, John.