Papalo seeds

Papalo (Porophyllum ruderale)

LARGER AMOUNTS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST -- email me (hello@gardenkevin.com)

Warm Season Annual Culinary Herb

Full Sun to Part Shade

Great in ground and in containers

Low fertility requirements 

Easy to grow

Check out my YouTube videos about papalo

Papalo is widely touted as a substitute to cilantro. This is true only in that it is typically added to dishes fresh like cilantro (tacos, salsas, etc). Unlike cilantro which is a cool season herb, papalo is a warm season plant that cannot tolerate any frost and loves warm and hot temperatures. 

For those of your out there that hate cilantro flavor, know that papalo is NOT related to cilantro at all and we don't think it tastes anything like it.

To allow papalo to germinate, leave the little fluffy wind dispersal parts on the seed when germinating. Cover very very lightly, even stick the stick like seeds carefully into the soil at a somewhat sideways angle, even allowing part of it to stick out. 

Papalo has a low germination rate in general, probably the lowest of all my seeds. 

Note this is NOT the purple papalo, aka Bolivian coriander NOT the pepicha. This is the broader leaf, GREEN papalo which we strongly prefer. 

Papalo if left unharvested when it goes to seed in the late summer or Fall, can become 6 to 7 feet tall. It's a skinny plant and can be densely spaced. They get along with most other crops as well, so a good companion crop to many  

What's it taste like? Well, that is a matter of opinion. We think it tastes totally unique, although I have heard folks describe it as anise-like and citrus-like as well as cilantro-like, but we just don't see it. It tastes like papalo! We fell in love with this herb the first time we grew it 12 years ago. When added to something spicy like salsa (recommended), to us it tastes like jalapeno peppers (and indeed pairs nicely with actual peppers) and tortillas. 

Is it strong? We eat it like a salad green in our salsa. We take a jar of salsa and chop up so much fresh papalo in it that it's more like a salad with salsa dressing. So we don't think it's strong. Some, however, find it to be very strong. 

If you think of the following foods that we commonly eat: garlic, onions, oregano, black pepper, hot peppers, lemon -- these are very strong foods. Take a bit of any of these and it can be overwhelming. Papalo is NOT like that at all, so we believe that it's the attitude folks have toward papalo (or trying it plain, which most people do not do with the aforementioned herbs). It's not lettuce! (Although we eat it almost like lettuce!)

Papalo keeps for garbage when stored. That's why you almost never see it at markets or in restaurants. It is best gathered right before adding to your food from you garden, so keep it close to the kitchen!

Check out my YouTube videos about papalo