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Coriander :: Herb of the Month
May 15, 2010
Coriandrum sativum
Historically cilantro is among the world’s oldest spices and said to be one of the first spices to arrive in America. This fresh flavorful feathery flat leaf herb is also referred to as Chinese parsley or coriander leaves. The entire plant [leaves, stalk, seeds, even the roots] is edible and worth singing its praises but, it’s the coriander seeds that are the focus and our herb of the month.
Coriander seed is actually the dried fruit of the coriander plant. It’s used as a spice and has a refreshing, earthy-lemony scent. I like to open the jar and inhale; it smells so delicious. Coriander seed is one of the most popular of all the spices used in Indian cuisine, plus is an essential flavor covering broad culinary territory in recipes from African, Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern kitchens.
Facts About Coriander
It is a key ingredient in Indian curry powders, curry dishes, and garam masala.
It is used as a pickling spice.
It has been prescribed as a digestive for thousands of years.
It helps relieve indigestion and nausea.
It has antibacterial properties.
Purchasing + Storing
The ready-ground coriander powder is a great convenience but it loses its flavor and aroma quicker than if you purchase the whole seeds. I prefer to buy the whole seeds and grind it with a mortar/pestle, or in a coffee grinder.
I like to store my spices in recycled glass jars, keeping the lid closed tight and placed in the cabinet. Glass jars will keep your spices fresh and help retain flavor and aroma for many more months when properly stored, up to a year or two. To preserves the flavor, aroma, and color or coriander seed, store in a cool, dry and dark place.
Coriander Seed Giveaway
Leaving a comment below enters you into the drawing. Share your tips, suggestions, ideas, experience using coriander, or your desire to learn more and try it.
At the end of this month, one name will be drawn from the comment section of this post. Our sponsor Mountain Rose Herbs will send a gift coriander to the winning participant.
Related Posts
Previous Herb of the Month Giveaways
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Comments
39 Comments so far
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Herb of the Month
Red Clover our featured spice for April. We'll highlight its benefits, showcase it in raw vegan recipes, and at the end of the month a reader's name will be drawn from the comments, and our sponsor
will send that person products featuring red clover. Thank you for participating!
[...] Coriander :: Herb of the Month [...]
i LOVE adding coriander and cumin to coconut oil and tomato paste to make a rub for cauliflower before dehydrating it. makes a delicious tasting dish!
I looooove coriander. I make coriander rice every time I make Indian food… so delicious.
I really haven’t used coriander much, I just have a really old mix of that with cumin that I put in refried beans or mexican seasoning. Would love to try some of the fresh stuff!
I like using coriander in moroccan-inspired dishes where I season a tomato-based sauce with cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika. I add sauteed onions and garlic to the sauce and top it over chicken!
I’m just getting acquainted with coriander. So far, I am finding it delightful! Thank you for the very useful coriander notes. As a raw foodie, I love using the freshest and finest ingredients – so I’m hoping for some Mountain Rose coriander!
I’ve only used coriander leaf in my salsas, but the seed sounds interesting and would love to try it…thank you for the info and contest :)
I use to use coriander often when making rice (with coconut milk instead of water) and loved that amazing delicate scent. I haven’t used it much since going high raw. I need to find more ways..I miss coriander (ground seed..not the leaf, I eat a lot of that).
what a great giveaway!!! i’ve only used coriander for pickles so i learned something!
I would really love to try using coriander in my cooking. I never have before!
I love to use coriander in a chicken and rice recipe that I fix once in a while..
I use coriander in rice.
My acupuncturist told me coriander/cilantro works as a medicine and is good for cleaning the spleen and liver. A pesto made of cilantro leaves and olive oil makes a great cleanser for the digestive tract and spurs on weight loss, from what my acupuncturist said.
I love to make a coriander rub for flank steak before grilling. It has a very fresh flavor.
i like to add it to soups mverno@roadrunner.com
I don’t use a bunch of coriander, but love cilantro! And, my cilantro just went to seed… so voila, coriander in my garden!
I have never used Coriander except for pickling, but if I should be lucky enough to win, I’d search out more recipes to try and use it in.
I use it every once in a while. For indian dishes, always!
I love using coriander in raw chili. It adds a wonderful flavour.
Because when you buy it fresh you get such a large quantity, I chop it up and make 1TBSP scoops of it. Then I put it in the freezer and store it in a ziplock bag, so whenever I want fresh coriander for recipes, I just have to thaw it out!
Count me in again please :)
ktgonyea at gmail.com
We LOVE Coriander :)
I love using coriander in Thai style salads with pineapple and beans sprouts etc. Goes really well with salty ingredients (used to be nama shoyu but himalayan salt works well too!). chilli lime dressing goes amazingly over coriander (cilantro).
Huh, I’ve never used the seeds before — just the pre-ground spice all the time in teas and smoothies. I’m so curious about the difference in flavor!
i adore indian spices but only use the powder form. i’ve always wondered why it didn’t smell like much and now i know. i must try the seeds. thank you :)
Just popping in to say: Beautiful!
Yummy :)
I love coriander but I don’t use it as much as I would like to. Thanks for sharing all the great facts.
Count me in again please :)
Unfortunately, my roommate is not a fan, so I don’t use it as often as I would like. Fortunately, he travels a lot, so I cook with it when I cook for just me. Thanks.
Thanks…love this kind of stuff.
Another entry for me please :) Thank You :)
well I’ve never tried this that I am aware of so hoping to.
Love it :)
I dont hardly use it but I am trying to use more herbs in my cooking to add flavor instead of less healthy options
Only every so often or so.
I haven’t been using coriander, but I recently read an article describing coriander as an excellent herb to promote health…so now I’m really interested in it.
I’ve never tried it before so I am interested.
Yum!I love coriander….it makes a great tea or ice cubes you can put in a glass of Maker’s Mark. Thanks for all the great info!
Good morning! The winner of May’s herb of the month giveaway is selene @ veganlicious ~congratulations Selene!
I’d like to thank everyone who participated in the drawing. Every month there’s a chance to win a featured herb or spice. June’s herb of the month is Saffron. Stay tuned and watch for the upcoming post.