View source for Coriander

{{Otheruses}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Coriander
| image = Koeh-193.jpg
| image_width = 240px 
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Apiales]]
| familia = [[Apiaceae]]
| genus = '''''Coriandrum'''''
| species = '''''C. sativum'''''
| binomial = ''Coriandrum sativum''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
{{nutritionalvalue | name=Coriander leaves, raw | kJ=95 | protein=2 g | fat=0.5 g | carbs=4 g | fiber=3 g | vitA_ug=337 | vitC_mg=27 | right=1 }}

'''Coriander''' (''Coriandrum sativum''), also commonly called '''cilantro,''' is an [[annual plant|annual]] [[herb]] in the family [[Apiaceae]]. Coriander is native to southwestern [[Asia]] west to north [[Africa]]. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 cm [20 in.] tall. The [[leaf|leaves]] are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The [[flower]]s are borne in small [[umbel]]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]] is a globular dry [[schizocarp]] 3-5 mm diameter.

The name coriander derives from [[French language|French]] coriandre through [[Latin]] “''coriandrum''” in turn from [[Greek language|Greek]] “{{Polytonic|κορίαννον}}”.<ref>"Coriander", ''Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition,'' 1989. Oxford University Press.</ref> John Chadwick notes the Mycenaean Greek form of the word, ''koriadnon'' "has a pattern curiously similar to the name of [[Minos]]' daughter ''[[Ariadne]]'', and it is plain how this might be corrupted later to ''koriannon'' or ''koriandron''."<ref>John Chadwick, ''The Mycenaean World'' (Cambridge: University Press, 1976), p. 119</ref>

== 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]]ern, [[Mediterranean]], [[India]]n, [[South Asia]]n, [[Latin America]]n, [[China|Chinese]], [[Africa]]n and [[Southeast Asia]]n cuisine.

=== Leaves and stems ===

The leaves are variously referred to as '''coriander leaves''', '''cilantro''' (in the [[United States]], from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] name for the plant), '''dhania''' (in the [[Indian subcontinent]], and increasingly in [[United Kingdom|Britain]]). The leaves, and especially the stems, have a very different taste from the seeds, similar to [[parsley]] but "juicier" and with [[citrus]]-like overtones. Some people instead perceive an unpleasant "soapy" taste and/or a rank smell. This is believed to be a result of an enzyme that changes the way they taste coriander leaves, a [[genetics|genetic trait]], but has yet to be fully researched{{Fact|date=May 2007}}.

The fresh leaves and stems are an essential ingredient in many [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] foods, Asian [[chutney]]s, Mexican [[salsa (sauce)|salsa]]s and [[guacamole]], and occasionally is used in sushi rolls. Chopped coriander leaves are also used as a garnish on cooked dishes such as [[dal]] and many [[curry|curries]]. As heat diminishes their flavour quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish right before serving.  (Though in some Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in huge amounts and cooked till they dissolve into sauce and their flavour mellows.[http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Cori_sat.html#disc])

Coriander leaves were formerly common in [[European cuisine]] but nearly disappeared before the modern period. Today Europeans usually eat the leaves and stems only in dishes that originated in foreign cuisines, except in [[Portugal]], where it is still an essential ingredient in many traditional dishes.

The fresh coriander herb is best stored in the refrigerator in airtight containers, after chopping off the roots. The leaves do not keep well and should be eaten quickly, as they lose their aroma when dried or frozen.

[[Image:coriander.png|thumb|Dried coriander fruits]]
[[Image:Sa-cilantro seeds.jpg|right|thumb|Coriander Seeds close-up]]

=== Fruit ===
The dry [[fruit]]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]]y citrus flavour when crushed, due to the presence of the [[terpene]]s [[linalool]] and [[pinene]]. It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured. They are usually dried but can be eaten green.

If the spice is bought (or picked -- it can be grown in a home garden) whole in a non-dried form, it can be dried in the sun.  Most commonly, it is bought as whole dried seeds, but can also be purchased in ground form.  When grinding at home, it can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly to enhance the aroma before grinding it in an electric grinder or with a [[mortar and pestle]]; ground coriander seeds lose their flavour quickly in storage and are best only ground as needed.  For optimum flavour, whole coriander seed should be used within six months, or stored for no more than a year in a tightly sealed container away from sunlight and heat. 

Coriander seed is a key spice ([[Hindi]] name: धनिया ''dhania'') in [[garam masala]] and [[Cuisine of India|Indian]] [[curry|curries]], which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with [[cumin]]. 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]].  

Outside of [[Asia]], coriander seed is an important spice for sausages in [[Germany]] and [[South Africa]] (see [[boerewors]]). In [[Russia]] and [[Central Europe]] coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in [[rye]] [[bread]] as an alternative to [[caraway]].  Apart from the uses just noted, coriander seeds are rarely used in [[European cuisine]] 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 ===
[[Image:Coriander roots.JPG|thumb|Coriander roots]]
Coriander [[root]]s are used in a variety of Asian cuisine. They are commonly used in [[Cuisine of Thailand|Thai dishes]].

== History ==
Coriander grows wild over a wide area of the Near East and southern Europe, which forced [[Michael Zohary|Zohary]] and Hopf to admit that "it is hard to define exactly where this plant is wild and where it only recently established itself."<ref>Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, ''Domestication of plants in the Old World, third edition (Oxford: University Press, 2000), p. 206</ref> Fifteen desiccated [[mericarp]]s were found in the [[Pre-Pottery Neolithic B]] level of the [[Nahal Hemel Cave]] in [[Israel]], which may be the oldest archeological find of coriander. About half a litre of coriander mericarps were recovered from the tomb of [[Tutankhamun]], 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 [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptians]].<ref>Zohary and Hopf, ''Domestication'', p. 205</ref> The [[Bible]] mentions coriander in [[Exodus]] 16:31: "And the house of [[Israel]] began to call its name [[Manna]]: and it was white like coriander seed, and its taste was like that of flat cakes made with [[honey]]."

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, 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.<ref>Chadwick, ''Mycenaean World'', p. 119</ref> 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 (region)|Macedonia]] could point to cultivation of the species at that time <ref>Fragiska, M. (2005). Wild and Cultivated Vegetables, Herbs and Spices in Greek Antiquity. ''Environmental Archaeology'' '''10''' (1): 73-82</ref>.  Coriander is thought to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans as a meat preserver.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} 

Coriander seed and leaf was very widely used in [[medieval]] [[European cuisine]], due to its ability to make spoiled [[meat]]s palatable by "masking" [[rot]]ten flavours. Even today, coriander seed is an important ingredient in many [[sausage]] 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]]'' has a very similar taste to coriander and is also known as ''culantro''. 
*[[Vietnamese coriander]] leaves have a similar odour and flavour to coriander.
*[[Bolivian Coriander]], or ''quillquiña'', has been described as "somewhere between [[arugula]], cilantro and [[rue]]".

==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]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Coriandrum sativum: evaluation of its anxiolytic effect in the elevated plus-maze|author=Emamghoreishi M, Khasaki M, Aazam MF|date=2005|journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology|volume=96|issue=3|pages=365-370|id=PMID 15619553}}</ref> Coriander seeds are also used in traditional Indian medicine as a [[diuretic]] by boiling equal amounts of coriander seeds and cumin seeds, then cooling and consuming the resulting liquid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hashmi.com/coriander.html|author=Dawakhana, H|date=2007|title=Coriander: Cure from the Kitchen|publisher=hashmi.com|accessdate=2007-07-18}}</ref> In holistic and some traditional medicine, it is used as a [[carminative]] and for general digestive aid.<ref>{{cite web   | title = Coriander | publisher = PDRHealth | url = http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/herbaldrugs/100860.shtml | accessdate = 07-18-07 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Herbs for the Prairies:Coriander|publisher=Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association|url =http://paridss.usask.ca/specialcrop/commodity/herb_spice/tour/coriander.html| accessdate=07-18-07}}</ref>

==Popular Culture==
{{Trivia|date=September 2007}}
*On the animated series, [[Metalocalypse]], Skwisgaar Skwigelf is allergic to cilantro.
*The popular [[DC Comics]] character [[Starfire (comics)|Starfire's]] real name ("Princess Koriand'r") was adapted from the herb by writer [[Marv Wolfman]].
*The main character of a book "I, Coriander" a fantasy story set in 17th-Century [[London]] published in 2005 by author [[Sally Gardner]]
*The doctor in "Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!" says that he hates cilantro. If the player says the word "cilantro" twice at the title screen, he will make a bitter face.
*The japanese-video game [[Steambot Chronicles]] (Known as Bumpy Trot in Japan) features a lead female named Coriander, though she is refered to by her nickname "Connie".

== References==
<references/>
* Katzer, Gernot [http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Cori_sat.html Coriander Seeds and Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)]
* Noxon, Heather and Meyer, Alex (2004). Genetic Analysis of PTC and Cilantro Taste Preferences.  MindExpo 2004
* In Chinese, they call it as 芫荽 or 香草 [http://www.hulu.com.tw/veg/Coriandrum_1H.htm]

== External links==
* [http://www.ihatecilantro.com/ I Hate Cilantro] (An anti cilantro community)

{{Commons|Coriandrum sativum}}

{{Herbs & spices}}

[[Category:Apiaceae]]
[[Category:Herbs]]
[[Category:Spices]]