chadon beni

Culantro (Eryngium foetidum), which is known as chadon beni in parts of the Caribbean.

Chadon beni leaves (bottom) on a dish together with bean sprouts and a wedge of lemon, served as a condiment with Vietnamese food.

Borrowed from French chardon béni (“blessed thistle”): chardon (“thistle”) (ultimately from Latin carduus (“wild thistle; artichoke”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *kars- (“to rub, scrape, scratch”)) + béni (past participle of bénir (“to bless”), ultimately from Late Latin benedīcō (“to bless, praise”), from bene (“well”) and dīcō (“speak”)).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɑːdɔː(n) ˌbɛni/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɑdɔ(n) ˌbɛni/
• Hyphenation: cha‧don be‧ni

chadon beni (uncountable)

1. (Caribbean) Culantro (Eryngium foetidum), a tropical herb whose leaves are used medicinally and in Caribbean cuisine.

   Synonyms: (Saint Kitts) cat-claw, (Dominica) chuk-chuk, (Jamaica, Saint Kitts) fit-bush, (Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago) fitweed, (Saint Vincent) shadow-vinnie bush, (Trinidad)

   • 1997, Caricomview: A Monthly Newsletter of the Caricom Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana: Communications Unit, Caricom Secretariat, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 8:

     The people of Trinidad and Tobago also love their shark and bake which they spice with a sauce made from chadon beni (one of the most versatile herbs that is used to spice meats or make a flavoured pepper sauce).

   • 1999, Sarah Cameron, Ben Box, editors, Caribbean Islands Handbook 2000: With the Bahamas, 11th edition, Bath, Somerset: Footprint Handbooks, →ISBN, page 970:

     If you go to Maracas Bay, have shark-and-bake, a spicy fried bread sandwich of fried shark with a variety of sauces such as tamarind, garlic, chadon beni.

   • 2005, Lynn Marie Houston, “Major Foods and Ingredients”, in Ken Albala, editor, Food Culture in the Caribbean (Food Culture around the World), Westport, Conn., London: Greenwood Press, Greenwood Publishing Group, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 35:

     This herb is referred to as false cilantro because it resembles and is related to cilantro. It is also known as recao, long coriander, saw-tooth coriander, culantro, or shadow beni.

   • 2006 March, “Technical Cooperation Results – 2005”, in The Contribution of IICA to the Development of Agriculture and Rural Communities in Trinidad and Tobago: Annual Report 2005, Port of Spain, Trinidad: IICA Office in Trinidad & Tobago, section 5.5 (Developing Human Capital), page 16, column 2:

     Over the 10 week period the students were guided in the development of investment profiles for producing 6 products and or commodities: dehydrated hot peppers; dasheen leaves; pasteurized milk (using small scale equipment); sweet corn; Chadon Beni; and Red tilapia.

   • 2008 April, Steven Raichlen, “Vegetables: Greens Meet Grill”, in The Barbeque! Bible, New York, N.Y.: Workman Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 404, column 2:

     Grilled corn with shadon beni butter […] Inspired by a popular Trinidadian herb, I've come up with a more interesting topping: shadon beni butter. […] But don't despair if you can't find shadon beni: cilantro makes an equally delicious butter. By the way, you can use shadon beni butter as a great topping for other simply grilled vegetables and seafood.

   • 2009, Monique Roffey, The White Woman on the Green Bicycle‎, New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, published 2011, →ISBN:

     The air was spiced with chadon beni and wild thyme, his favourite perfume.

   • 2009, Ann Vanderhoof, “Curry Tabanca: Trinidad”, in The Spice Necklace: A Food-lover’s Caribbean Adventure, Toronto, Ont.: Doubleday Canada, →ISBN, page 190:

     Every week I buy my herbs—cive (as it's spelled here) and thyme (sold separately), parsley and chadon beni (a close relative of cilantro)—from the same Rastafarian farmer, who always welcomes me, though this market swims with shoppers, and commerce generally gets in the way of idle chat.

   • 2010, “Eating and Drinking Well in Trinidad and Tobago”, in Douglas Stallings, Eric Wechter, editors, Fodor’s Trinidad & Tobago, New York, N.Y.: Fodor’s Travel, →ISBN:

     This thick sultry stew is simmered from okra, chili peppers, coconut milk, chadon bene, garlic, onion, crab, tubers (including dasheen, whose leaves, resembling a slightly bitter spinach, are also called callaloo), and sometimes various meats.

   • 2010, Grace Young, “Poultry and Egg Recipes”, in Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery with Authentic Recipes and Stories, New York, N.Y., London: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 116, column 1:

     Chinese Trinidadian Chicken with Mango Chutney […] Lee Lum finishes the dish with chopped shandon beni leaves, a local herb that tastes like cilantro.

   • 2011, John Cavazos, Ann Marie Cavazos, “Main Courses and Cooked Sides”, in The Daniel Fast Made Delicious, Lake Mary, Fla.: Siloam, →ISBN, section I (Healthy Eating on the Daniel Fast), page 35:

     Shado beni is similar to cilantro but has a stronger flavor. Look for it in ethnic grocery stores that feature Hispanic or West Indian foods. If not found, it is not a problem—just substitute with cilantro (add a little extra cilantro if you want the stronger flavor you would have gotten with the shado beni).

• chadon bene
• chandon beni
• shado beni (Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago)
• shadon beni
• shadow beni
• shandon beni

• Eryngium foetidum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Eryngium foetidum on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Eryngium foetidum on Wikispecies.Wikispecies