Coriander

Coriander is an annual herb of the Apiaceae family whose fresh leaves and dried seeds are used in many of the world's cuisines. It is generally considered native to the Mediterranean Basin, although its exact origin remains uncertain.

History

Sources place the origin of coriander in a broad area of West Asia and southern Europe, where it grows wild, which makes it hard to say where the plant first appeared and where it was introduced later. Some research points to the southwestern Levant and Portugal as possible places of origin.

The oldest finds cited come from Israel, where desiccated fruits were recovered from Neolithic layers dated six to eight thousand years ago. The herb is mentioned in the Torah as a point of comparison for the taste of manna, which suggests it was a familiar ingredient in ancient Israel. Coriander fruits were also recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt, and since the plant does not grow wild there, this is taken as a sign of cultivation. The Ebers Papyrus, dated around 1550 BCE, records its uses. In Greece it may have been grown since at least the second millennium BCE, and a Linear B tablet from Pylos links it to perfume production. Hippocrates and Dioscorides also wrote about it.

The word derives from Latin coriandrum, from the Greek koriannon, which is of non-Indo-European origin. Since antiquity it has been valued both as a spice, for its seeds, and as a herb, for its leaves. Today it is grown in many temperate and tropical regions. Large-fruited types from tropical and subtropical countries serve the spice trade, while small-fruited types from temperate areas are prized for essential oil.

Culture

Coriander plays a central role in several cuisines: Mediterranean, Indian, Latin American, Chinese and Southeast Asian. All parts of the plant are edible, though fresh leaves and dried seeds are the most common. Its names vary by place: cilantro, coriandro, culantro, Chinese parsley or dania, and in the Philippines it is colloquially called uansóy or wansóy.

In India the ground seeds are part of curry and of mixtures such as dhania jeera, combined with cumin. Roasted seeds, known as dhania dal, are eaten as a snack. In Germany and South Africa the seeds flavour sausages, such as boerewors, and in Russia and Central Europe they occasionally appear in rye breads as an alternative to caraway.

In Latin America the leaves take the lead. In Mexico they feature in salsas, moles and tacos, and are an ingredient of guacamole. In Venezuela they are considered fundamental to national cooking, and guasacaca, made with avocado, green pepper, garlic, onion and coriander, is among its best-known examples. Peru uses them in chicken with rice, and Guatemala in chirmol, a salsa of tomato, onion, coriander, salt and lime. Ecuador, Colombia and Panama use them in soups and stews, and Chile in pebre. In the Canary Islands they appear in mojo sauces and stews, and in Extremadura they are part of the Lenten escabeche. In Brazil the herb is called coentro and is especially present in Bahian cooking.

Coriander also has a role in industry and traditional medicine. Its essential oil flavours liqueurs and digestif drinks and is used in perfumery. Herbal traditions credit it with stimulant and digestive properties, though these uses are no substitute for medical treatment. It remains a daily presence in markets, home gardens and kitchens worldwide.

Trivia