Coriander, cilantro
Coriander (coriandrum sativum) is cilantro or Chinese parsley in US English if you’re talking about the leaf, and coriander if you’re talking about the seed. In Telugu it’s dhaniya and in Hindi it’s dhaniya. In French it’s coriandre.
Never leave home without it. It’s a key herb in several culinary traditions and appears as a less crucial part in a range of others.
It has a very long and exceedingly distinguished culinary history. It was used in Ancient Egypt (my theory is that even Moses ate the stuff) which is reassuring for those who do not like the distinctive scent. It can add sparkle to a salad, or savour to a stew.
The root is also good to cook with. One of my favourite coriander root recipes is Thai.
Chicken party snacks
Grind coriander root with garlic and chicken and perhaps some salt (all quantities to taste). Spread the paste on small squares of toast. Heat some vegetable oil and fry the squares face down until they are crisp.
March 6th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Call me dense, but I had no idea that these two spices were one in the same, in a way! I’m a cilantro lover, and I know I’ve had coriander in meals, but now that I’m more aware, I’ll have to try something with coriander and compare them in my head.
March 8th, 2007 at 2:57 am
I didn’t know what cilantro was when I first came across it. I kept using Continental parsley and wondering why the US hadn’t discovered coriander. It’s a strange little culinary thing that cnfuses a lot of people.