Coriander: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Coriander

Coriander

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Coriander
	Home
	"Chinese parsley" redirects here. This can also refer to the unrelated Heliotropium curassavicum Heliotropium curassavicum *Heliotropium curassavicum* is a species of Heliotropium known by several common names, such as Seaside Heliotrope, Salt Heliotrope, Monkey Tail, Quail Plant and "Chinese parsley"; in Latin America it is known as *cola de mico* and is called kipukai in Hawaiian language.... . Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an annual Annual plant An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates flowers and dies in one year. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed.... herb Herb A herb is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties, flavor, scent, or the like.... in the family Apiaceae Apiaceae The Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of usually aromatic plants with hollow stems, commonly known as umbellifers. It includes cumin, parsley, carrot, coriander/cilantro, dill, caraway, fennel, parsnip, celery, Queen anne's lace and other relatives.... . It is also known as cilantro, particularly in the USA. Coriander is native to southwestern Asia Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population.... west to north Africa Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.... . It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 cm [20 in.] tall. The leaves Leaf In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues.... are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The flower Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds.... s are borne in small umbel Umbel An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs.... s, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer (5-6 mm) than those pointing to the middle of the umbel (only 1-3 mm long). The fruit Fruit The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. In botany, which is the scientific study of plants, fruits are the ripened Ovary of flowering plants.... is a globular dry schizocarp Schizocarp A *schizocarp* is a dry fruit that develops from multiple carpels. When mature it splits up into one-seeded mericarps. The mericarp is either:... 3-5 mm diameter. The name coriander derives from French French language French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries.... coriandre through Latin Latin Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe.... “coriandrum” in turn from Greek Greek language Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European.... “”. John Chadwick notes the Mycenaean Greek form of the word, koriadnon "has a pattern curiously similar to the name of Minos Minos In Greek mythology, Minos was a mythical king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa . After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Greek Underworld.... ' daughter Ariadne Ariadne Ariadne, in Greek mythology , was daughter of Monarch Minos of Crete and his queen, Pasipha?, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and later became the bride of the god Dionysus.... , and it is plain how this might be corrupted later to koriannon or koriandron." Uses All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Coriander is commonly used in Middle East Middle East File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East.... ern, Mediterranean, Indian India (disambiguation) India may refer to:In politics:* Contemporary India In geography and culture:the Indian subcontinent the region east of the Indus river and south of the Himalaya , see "Hindustan"... , South Asia South Asia South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east.... n, Latin America Latin America Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages ? particularly Spanish language and Portuguese language, and variably French language ? are primarily spoken.... n, Chinese China China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia.... , Africa Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.... n and Southeast Asia Southeast Asia Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia.... n cuisine. Leaves The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, cilantro (in the United States United States The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U... , from the Spanish Spanish language Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade.... name for the plant), dhania (in the Indian subcontinent Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr... , and increasingly in Britain United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe.... ), Kothimbir (????????) in Marathi, Kothimir(a) in Telugu, Kothambari in Kannada, Kothamalli in Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has Official language in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore.... , Ketoembar in Malayan, kindza in Georgia Georgia (country) Georgia is a transcontinental country in the Caucasus region, located at the dividing line between Europe and Asia. It is bordered by the Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Armenia to the south, and Turkey to the southwest.... (Sakartvelo), Kisnis in Turkey, xiang cai in Mandarin, heung choy in Cantonese, go su in Korean, Chinese parsley or Mexican parsley in North America, coriandolo in Italian. The leaves have a very different taste from the seeds, with citrus Citrus *Citrus* is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world.... -like overtones. Some people perceive an unpleasant "soapy" taste or a rank smell and avoid eating the leaves. Popular belief that this is genetically determined may arise from the known genetic variation in taste perception of the synthetic chemical Chemical synthesis In chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of chemical reactions in order to get a product , or several products. This happens by physics and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions.... phenylthiocarbamide Phenylthiocarbamide Phenylthiocarbamide, also known as PTC, or phenylthiourea, is an organic compound that either tastes very Bitter , or is virtually tasteless, depending on the genetics makeup of the taster.... ; however, no specific link has yet been established between cilantro and a bitter taste perception gene. The fresh leaves are an essential ingredient in many South Asian foods (particularly chutney Chutney Chutney , is a term for a variety of sweet and spicy condiments, usually involving a fresh, chopped primary vegetable or fruit with added seasonings.... s), in Chinese dishes and in Mexican salsa Salsa (sauce) *Salsa* is the Spanish language, Arabic language, and Italian language word that can refer to any type of sauce. In American English it usually refers to the Spice, often tomato- or maize-based hot sauces typical of Mexican cuisine, particularly those used as food dips.... s and guacamole Guacamole Guacamole is an avocado-based relish or Food dip.... . Chopped coriander leaves are also used as a garnish on cooked dishes such as dal Dal Dal or Pappu is a preparation of pulse s which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick, spicy stew prepared therefrom, a mainstay of Indian cuisine, Cuisine of Pakistan, and Cuisine of Bangladesh cuisine.... and many curries Curry Curry is the English language description of any of a general variety of spiced dishes, best known in Asian cuisines, especially South Asian cuisine.... . As heat diminishes their flavour quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish right before serving. In some Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in large amounts and cooked until the flavour diminishes.) The leaves also spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their aroma when dried or frozen. Coriander leaves were formerly common in European cuisine European cuisine European cuisine, or alternatively Western cuisine is a generalized term collectively referring to the cuisines of Europe and other Western world.... but nearly disappeared before the modern period. Today western Europeans usually eat coriander leaves only in dishes that originated in foreign cuisines, except in southern Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east.... , where they are still an essential ingredient in many traditional dishes. Fruit The dry fruit Fruit The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. In botany, which is the scientific study of plants, fruits are the ripened Ovary of flowering plants.... s are known as coriander seeds or coriandi seeds. In some regions, the use of the word coriander in food preparation always refers to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant itself. The seeds have a lemon Lemon The lemon is the common name for Citrus limon. The reproductive tissue surrounds the seed of the angiosperm lemon tree. The lemon is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world.... y citrus flavour when crushed, due to the presence of the terpene Terpene Terpenes are a large and varied class of hydrocarbons, produced primarily by a wide variety of plants, particularly conifers, though also by some insects such as termites or swallowtail butterflies, which emit terpenes from their osmeterium.... s linalool Linalool Linalool is a naturally-occurring terpene alcohol chemical found in many flowers and spice plants with many commercial applications, the majority of which are based on its pleasant scent .... and pinene Pinene The chemical compound pinene is a bicyclic terpene known as a monoterpene . There are two structural isomers found in nature: Alpha-Pinene and Beta-pinene.... . It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured. They are usually dried but can be eaten green. It is commonly found both as whole dried seeds and in ground form. Seeds can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly before grinding to enhance and alter the aroma. Like most spices, ground coriander seed loses its flavour quickly in storage and is best when ground as needed. For optimum flavour, whole coriander seed should be stored in a tightly sealed container away from sunlight and heat. Coriander seed is a key spice (Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government.... name: ????? dhania) in garam masala Garam masala Garam masala, the literal meaning of which is 'hot spice' , is a basic blend of ground spices to be used alone or with other seasonings. It is common in Cuisine of India, Cuisine of Bangladesh and Cuisine of Pakistan cuisines.... and Indian curries Curry Curry is the English language description of any of a general variety of spiced dishes, best known in Asian cuisines, especially South Asian cuisine.... , which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with cumin Cumin Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to East India.... . It also acts as a thickener. Roasted coriander seeds, called dhana dal, are also eaten as a snack. It is also the main ingredient of the two south Indian gravies: sambhar and rasam Rasam Rasam, is a South Indian soup. It is prepared with tamarind juice or tomato, Chili pepper and other spices. Lentils are added by some along with vegetables.... . Outside of Asia Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population.... , coriander seed is an important spice for pickling Pickling Pickling, also known as brining or corning, is the process of preserving food by Anaerobic organism fermentation in brine , to produce lactic acid bacteria, or marination and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar .... vegetables, and making sausages in Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.... and South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa.... (see boerewors Boerewors Boerewors is a sausage dish, popular in South African cuisine and Limburg cuisine. It comes from the Afrikaans language words boer and wors .... ). In Russia Russia Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia.... and Central Europe Central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern Europe and Western Europe Europe. In addition, Northern Europe, Southern Europe and Southeastern Europe may variously delimit or overlap into Central Europe.... coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in rye Rye Rye is a Poaceae grown extensively as a grain and forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some rye whiskey, some vodkas, and animal fodder.... bread Bread Bread is a staple food prepared by baking a dough of flour and water. It may be leavened or unleavened. Edible salt, fat and a leavening agent such as yeast are common ingredients, though bread may contain a range of other ingredients: milk, Egg , sugar, spice, fruit , vegetables , Nut or seeds .... as an alternative to caraway Caraway Caraway or Persian cumin is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to Europe and western Asia.The plant is similar in appearance to a carrot plant, with finely divided, feathery leaves with thread-like divisions, growing on 20?30 cm stems.... . Apart from the uses just noted, coriander seeds are uncommonly used in European cuisine European cuisine European cuisine, or alternatively Western cuisine is a generalized term collectively referring to the cuisines of Europe and other Western world.... today, though they were more important in former centuries. Coriander seeds are also used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian wheat beers. The coriander seeds are typically used in conjunction with orange peel to add a citrus character to these styles of beer. Roots Coriander root Root In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial root or aerating .... s have a deeper, more intense flavour than the leaves. They are used in a variety of Asian cuisines. They are commonly used in Thai dishes Cuisine of Thailand Sorry, no overview for this topic , including soups and curry pastes. History Coriander grows wild over a wide area of the Near East and southern Europe, which forced Zohary Michael Zohary Michael Zohary was a pioneering Israeli botanist who published the monumental Geobotanical Foundations of the Middle East. He was responsible for introduction of the important principle of antiteleochory which adumbrated that seed germination of the desert plant is ensured by dispersal near the parent plant.... and Hopf to admit that "it is hard to define exactly where this plant is wild and where it only recently established itself." Fifteen desiccated mericarps were found in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Pre-Pottery Neolithic B is a division of the Neolithic developed by Dame Kathleen Kenyon during her archaeological excavations at Jericho in the southern Levant region.... level of the Nahal Hemel Cave in Israel Israel Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.... , which may be the oldest archeological find of coriander. About half a litre of coriander mericarps were recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun Tutankhamun Tutankhamun , Egyptian language was an Ancient Egypt Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt , during the period of History of Egypt known as the New Kingdom.... , 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 Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was an Ancient history civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile in what is now the modern nation of Egypt.... . The Bible Bible The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations.... mentions coriander in Exodus Exodus Exodus is the second book of the Jewish Torah and of the Christian Old Testament. It tells how Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness to the Mountain of God Sinai.... 16:31: "And the house of Israel Israel Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.... began to call its name Manna Manna Manna , sometimes or archaically spelt mana, is the name of a food which, according to the Bible, was eaten by the Israelites during their travels in the desert.... : and it was round like coriander seed, and its taste was like that of flat cakes made with honey Honey Honey is a sweet fluid produced by honey bees , and derived from the nectar of flowers. According to the United States National Honey Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance?this includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners... ." Coriander seems to have been cultivated in Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east.... since at least the second millennium BC. One of the Linear B Linear B Linear B is a script that was used for writing Mycenaean language, an early form of Greek language. It predated the Greek alphabet by several centuries and seems to have died out with the fall of Mycenaean Greece civilization.... tablets recovered from Pylos Pylos This article is about the Greek geographical feature and town. For the mythological figure see Pylus . For board game see Pylos .Pylos, or P?los , is a large bay and a town on the west coast of the Peloponnese, in the district of Messenia in southern Greece.... refers to the species as being cultivated for the manufacture of perfumes, and it appears that it was used in two forms: as a spice for its seeds and as a herb for the flavour of its leaves. 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 Sitagroi Sitagroi is a municipality in the Drama Prefecture, Greece. Population 5,266 . The seat of the municipality is in Fotolivos. It is also the location of an important archaeological site from the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age.... in Macedonia Macedonia (region) Macedonia is a geographical and Historical regions of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe whose area was re-defined in the early 20th century.... could point to cultivation of the species at that time . Coriander is thought to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans as a meat preserver. Coriander seed and leaf was very widely used in medieval European cuisine European cuisine European cuisine, or alternatively Western cuisine is a generalized term collectively referring to the cuisines of Europe and other Western world.... , due to its ability to make spoiled meat Meat In modern English usage, meat most often refers to animal biological tissue used as food, mostly skeletal muscle and associated fat, but it may also refer to offal, including livers, skin, brains, bone marrow, kidneys, in some countries lungs, and a variety of other internal organs as well as blood.... s palatable by "masking" rot ROT The aviation term ROT stands for rate one turn, also known as a standard rate turn. All aircraft must be able to perform a standard rate turn.... ten flavours. Even today, coriander seed is an important ingredient in many sausage Sausage A sausage is a prepared food, usually made from ground meat, animal fat, salt, and spices , typically packed in a casing . Sausage making is a traditional food preservation technique.... products. Coriander was brought to the British colonies in North America in 1670 and was one of the first spices cultivated by early settlers. Similar plants Eryngium foetidum Eryngium foetidum Eryngium foetidum... has a very similar taste to coriander and is also known as culantro. Vietnamese coriander Vietnamese coriander Vietnamese coriander is a herb of which the leaves are frequently used in Southeast Asian cooking. Other English language names for the herb include Vietnamese mint, Vietnamese cilantro, Cambodian mint and hot mint.... leaves have a similar odour and flavour to coriander. Bolivian Coriander Bolivian Coriander Bolivian coriander is a herbaceous plant whose leaves can be used for seasoning food. Their taste has been described as "somewhere between arugula, cilantro and rue." The plant is commonly grown in Mexico and South America for use in salsa s.... , or quillquiña, has been described as "somewhere between arugula Arugula *Eruca sativa* , also known as rocket or arugula, is an edible plant. It is a species of Eruca native to the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal east to Jordan and Turkey.... , cilantro and rue Rue Rue is a genus of strongly scented evergreen subshrubs 20-60 cm tall, in the family Rutaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, Macronesia and southwest Asia.... ". Potential medical uses Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iranian folk medicine. Experiments in mice support its use as an anxiolytic Anxiolytic An anxiolytic is a Medication prescribed for the treatment of symptoms of anxiety. Some anxiolytics have been shown to be useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders as have antidepressants such as the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors .... . Coriander seeds are also used in traditional Indian medicine as a diuretic Diuretic A diuretic is any drug that elevates the rate of urination and thus provides a means of forced diuresis. There are several categories of diuretics.... by boiling equal amounts of coriander seeds and cumin seeds, then cooling and consuming the resulting liquid. In holistic and some traditional medicine, it is used as a carminative Carminative A carminative, also known as carminativum , is an herb or preparation that either prevents formation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract, or facilitates the expulsion of said gas, thereby combating flatulence.... and for general digestive aid. Additionally, coriander juice (mixed with either turmeric powder or mint juice) is used by some as a treatment for acne, applied to the face like toner. Coriander can also produce an allergic reaction in some people. Additional reading Katzer, Gernot Noxon, Heather and Meyer, Alex (2004). Genetic Analysis of PTC and Cilantro Taste Preferences. MindExpo 2004