Coriander (
UK: ;
[1] US: or
;
[2] Coriandrum sativum), also known as
cilantro(
)
[3] or
Chinese parsley, is an
annual herb in the family
Apiaceae. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking.
Botanical description[edit]
Coriander is native to regions spanning from
southern Europe and
northern Africa to
southwestern Asia. It is a soft plant growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The
flowers are borne in small
umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the center of the umbel longer (5–6 mm or 0.20–0.24 in) than those pointing toward it (only 1–3 mm or 0.039–0.118 in long). The
fruit is a globular, dry
schizocarp 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) in diameter.
Etymology[edit]
First attested in English in the late 14th century, the word "coriander" derives from the
Old French:
coriandre, which comes from
Latin:
coriandrum,
[4] in turn from
Ancient Greek:
κορίαννον koriannon,
[5] [6] derived from
Ancient Greek:
κόρις kóris (a bed bug), and was given on account of its foetid, bed bug-like smell.
[7] The earliest attested form of the word is the
Mycenaean Greek ko-ri-ja-da-na[8] written in
Linear B syllabic script (reconstructed as
koriadnon, similar to the name of
Minos's daughter
Ariadne) which later evolved to
koriannon or
koriandron.
[9]
Cilantro is the Spanish word for coriander, also deriving from
coriandrum. It is the common term in
North American English for coriander leaves, due to their extensive use in
Mexican cuisine.
History[edit]
Coriander grows wild over a wide area of Western Asia and southern Europe, prompting the comment, "It is hard to define exactly where this plant is wild and where it only recently established itself."
[10] Fifteen desiccated
mericarps were found in the
Pre-Pottery Neolithic B level of the
Nahal Hemar Cave in
Israel, which may be the oldest archaeological find of coriander. About half a litre (a pint) of coriander mericarps was recovered from the tomb of
Tutankhamen, and because this plant does not grow wild in Egypt, Zohary and Hopf interpret this find as proof that coriander was cultivated by the
ancient Egyptians.
[10]
Coriander seems to have been cultivated in Greece since at least the second millennium BC. One of the
Linear B tablets recovered from
Pylos refers to the species as being cultivated for the manufacture of perfumes, it apparently was used in two forms: as a spice for its seeds and as a herb for the flavour of its leaves.
[9] This appears to be confirmed by archaeological evidence from the same period; the large quantities of the species retrieved from an
Early Bronze Age layer at
Sitagroi in
Macedonia could point to cultivation of the species at that time.
[11]
Coriander was brought to the British colonies in North America in 1670, and was one of the first spices cultivated by early settlers.
[12]
All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking. Coriander is used in cuisines throughout the world.
[13]
The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, fresh coriander, dhania, Chinese parsley, or (in the US and commercially in Canada) cilantro.
Coriander potentially may be confused with
culantro (
Eryngium foetidum L.), an
Apiaceae like coriander (
Coriandrum sativumL.), but from a different
genus. Culantro has a distinctly different spiny appearance, a more potent volatile leaf oil
[14] and a stronger aroma.
The leaves have a different taste from the seeds, with
citrus overtones. Some people may be genetically predisposed to find the leaves to have unpleasant soapy taste or a rank smell.
[15]
The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many South Asian foods (such as
rasams,
chutneys, and salads); in Chinese and Thai dishes; in Mexican cooking, particularly in
salsa and
guacamole and as a garnish; and in salads in Russia and other
CIScountries. In Portugal, chopped coriander is used in the bread soup
Açorda, and in India, chopped coriander is a garnish on Indian dishes such as
dal.
[16] As heat diminishes their flavour, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish immediately before serving. In Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in large amounts and cooked until the flavour diminishes.
[17] The leaves spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their aroma when dried or frozen.
Dried coriander fruits, often called "coriander seeds" when used as a spice
The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds. The word "coriander" in food preparation may refer solely to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to the
terpenes,
linalool,
pinene, and
limonene, among others.
[18] It is described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured.
The variety
C. s. vulgare has a fruit diameter of 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in), while var.
C. s. microcarpum fruits have a diameter of 1.5–3 mm (0.06–0.12 in). Large-fruited types are grown mainly by tropical and subtropical countries, e.g. Morocco, India, and Australia, and contain a low volatile oil content (0.1-0.4%). They are used extensively for grinding and blending purposes in the spice trade. Types with smaller fruit are produced in temperate regions and usually have a volatile oil content around 0.4-1.8%, so are highly valued as a raw material for the preparation of essential oil.
[19]
Food applications[edit]
Coriander is commonly found both as whole dried seeds and in
ground form. Roasting or heating the seeds in a dry pan heightens the flavour, aroma, and pungency. Ground coriander seed loses flavour quickly in storage and is best ground fresh. Coriander seed is a spice in
garam masala and
Indian curries which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with
cumin, acting as a thickener in a mixture called
dhana jeera.
Roasted coriander seeds, called
dhana dal, are eaten as a mouth refresher and digestive. They are the main spice in the south Indian dish
sambhar.
Outside of Asia, coriander seed is used widely in the process for
pickling vegetables. In Germany and South Africa (see
boerewors), the seeds are used while making sausages. In Russia and Central Europe, coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in
rye bread (e.g.
Borodinsky bread), as an alternative to
caraway.
The
Zuni people of North America have adapted it into their cuisine, mixing the powdered seeds ground with chile and using it as a condiment with meat, and eating leaves as a salad.
[20]
Coriander seeds are used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian
Witbier. The coriander seeds are used with orange peel to add a citrus character.
Coriander seed is one of the main traditional ingredients in the South African
Boerewors, a popular spiced mixed-meat sausage.
Flavor and aroma[edit]
Different people may perceive the taste of coriander leaves differently. Those who enjoy it say it has a refreshing, lemony or lime-like flavor, while those who dislike it have a strong aversion to its taste and smell, characterizing it as soapy or rotten.
[15][21] Studies also show variations in preference among different ethnic groups: 21% of East Asians, 17% of Caucasians, and 14% of people of African descent expressed a dislike for coriander, but among the groups where coriander is popular in their cuisine, only 7% of South Asians, 4% of Hispanics, and 3% of Middle Eastern subjects expressed a dislike.
[22]
Twin studies have shown that 80% of identical twins shared the same preference for the herb, but fraternal twins agreed only about half the time, strongly suggesting a genetic component to the preference. In a genetic survey of nearly 30,000 people, two genetic variants linked to perception of coriander have been found, the most common of which is a gene involved in sensing smells.
[23] The gene,
OR6A2, lies within a cluster of olfactory-receptor genes, and encodes a receptor that is highly sensitive to
aldehyde chemicals. Flavor chemists have found that the coriander aroma is created by a half-dozen or so substances, and most of these are aldehydes. Those who dislike the taste are sensitive to the offending
unsaturated aldehydes, while simultaneously may also be unable to detect the aromatic chemicals that others find pleasant.
[24] Association between its taste and several other genes, including a bitter-taste receptor, have also been found.
[25]
Nutrition[edit]
Research[edit]
In the
Salinas Valley of
California,
aphids have been one of the worst pests in the
lettuce fields. The
USDA Cooperative Extension Service has been investigating organic methods for aphid control, and experimented with coriander plants and
Alyssum plants; when intercropped with the lettuce and allowed to flower, they attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies, the larvae of which eat up to 150 aphids per day before they mature into flying adults.
[28]
Similar plants[edit]
Other herbs are used where they grow in much the same way as coriander leaves.
Allergy[edit]
Coriander can produce an allergic reaction in some people.
[30][31][32]
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