Culantro is a tropical perennial herb in the family Apiaceae, also known as Eryngium foetidum. It is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, but is cultivated worldwide, mostly in the tropics as a perennial, but sometimes in temperate climates as an annual. Culantro has long, serrated leaves and looks a bit like long-leafed lettuce. It has a similar aroma and flavor to cilantro, but they are not the same plant. Culantro has a stronger, pungent odor and bitter, soapy flavor compared to cilantro, but it is often used in many of the same contexts as cilantro. Culantro is used as both a culinary and medicinal herb. It is used in many dishes, such as soups, rice and beans, and stews. Culantro is also an essential ingredient in Puerto Rican recaíto, a kind of sofrito that includes no tomato and forms the base for many Puerto Rican dishes. In some dishes, culantro and cilantro can be interchangeable, but often they are not.