Culinary Herbs

Description

Coriander has dark green, soft, frilly leaves on the end of a long stem. It has a very distinct, complex flavour that is bright, citrusy, and sweet with an intense tang. It is also called cilantro or Chinese parsley.

Food

It complements fish or meat dishes, and features heavily in Thai and Mexican dishes. It enhances salads, beans, rice, omelettes, soups, and makes an interesting pesto.

Health Benefits

Coriander is a powerful detoxifier, releasing stored up chemicals, metals, and other accumulated toxins from the body's tissues.

Storage

Punnet

Store in the fridge in the vegetable drawer in original punnet. Use within two days of opening. It can also be frozen by roughly chopping and placing in a zip-lock bag, as is or with olive oil added. Flatten the contents of the bag to make it easy to break into portions. Freeze overnight. An ice cube tray can also be used by pouring a little water or olive oil over the chopped herbs inside the tray.

Culture and History

Coriander has been eaten for over 8,000 years, and is native to the Mediterranean and Middle East. It has found its way to most parts of the world, and is common in Asian, South American, and Middle Eastern foods. The name cilantro is Spanish in origin, and was taken to America through Mexico, where cilantro refers to the leaf only, and coriander describes the seed. Around 30% of the population are genetically unable to appreciate the taste of Coriander.