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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye.

Coriander introduction

When thumbing through cookbooks you will often times run across recipes calling for cilantro, Mexican parsley and sometimes even coriander. Have you ever wondered what they are? Are they all the same? The answer is yes they are all the same. Cilantro is a pungent delightfully citrusy herb that resembles parsley in appearance.

This bright green herb comes from the coriander plant. The leaves and stems are used to make cilantro and the seeds are dried and ground to make the bottled spice coriander.

About Coriander

oriander (Coriandrum sativum) is in the parsley family (Apiaceae or Umbelliferae). This is another ancient plant found in the Egyptian tombs of Kings. It was mentioned in all the medieval medical texts by the Greeks, in the Bible, and by early Sanskrit writers and by the Egyptians in the Ebers papyrus. The seeds were found in the tombs of both King Tutankhamun and Rameses II. Indigenous to the Holy Land, coriander was compared by the Ancient Hebrews to the manna provided by God to the Children of Israel.

It was one of the bitter herbs eaten at the Passover. In Medieval Europe, coriander was considered an aphrodisiac and a witch's herb employed in love magic and love potions. The seeds and leaves are widely used as a garnish and domestic spice especially in curries and in Mexican food. The essential oil is from the seed and is an antidote to hot food. It is very decongesting to the liver and is a stimulant for digestion. A key constituent is Linalol-65-78%-an alcohol.

Coriander benefits

Some studies have shown that the leaves of the coriander plant can accelerate the excretion of mercury, lead and aluminium from the body. This delicious herb, when added to food, can greatly contribute in the detox process. It is available all year round.You can use it instead of basil to make a delicious coriander pesto.

Mix fresh coriander leaves (about 25 stems) with 1/2 a cup of pine nuts, 1 clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons of lemon and 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a blender until you get a smooth paste (you can make the paste less lumpy by adding hot water). It's very tasty with pasta or as an accompaniment to vegetables or fish.

CONCLUSION

Coriander, Coriandrum sativum, also commonly called cilantro, is an annual herb in the family Apiacea. Coriander is native to southwestern Asia and west to north Africa. It is a soft, hairless 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, and with the petals that point away from the centre of the umbel being 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.