Who Are You: Coriander or Cilantro

Who Are You: Coriander or Cilantro

 

Some herbs and spices are so specific in flavor we almost immediately think of a place from their aroma or flavor. Cilantro evokes thoughts of Mexico, but also China and India. For many of the popular Mexican foods we eat in America, speaking for myself, they are not complete without the compliment of cilantro.

Herbs, of course, add flavor. Some add flavor and act as salt by boosting the flavors of the other ingredients. In part, the reason for this is the fresh herbs essential oils are activated by the heat and make them more forward on the palate. Salt, of course, enhances the flavors already there, but there is a point of oversaturation. With herbs, the compatibility of the herb to the food helps trick the palate.

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Those Who Say YUCK!

Those of us for whom guacamole simply isn’t finished without a decent addition of cilantro simply do not get that one person who says, “Yuck! That herb tastes like soap.” Alas, “about 4–14% of people tested, think the leaves taste like bath soap.”[1] I knew one such chap. He was a chef and he simply hated the taste of cilantro. So, for those few, the fact that this herb also produces a spice and that its root is edible would fail to impress.

When cilantro goes to seed, the seed it produces is coriander. Perhaps not surprisingly, they have very little flavor in common. Of the herb, many find it quite pungent, sometimes described as sage strong with a citrus finish. Coriander is, to my taste, nearly all the citrus with no sage. That is, I find it a delight in dishes for it is a light and pleasant flavor owning none of that forward pushiness of its parent.

An Herb By Any Other Name

Cilantro is also called Chinese parsley or, less frequently, Mexican parsley. Oddly, it is in no way related to the herb called Mexican coriander, which is an entirely different plant. The Latin identification is Coriander sativum, and by most accounts it is from Iran or Turkey. Coriander-I am using the Latin term as the common name but do mean cilantro-is one of the more ancient herbs, found in tomb of Tutankhamen as well as in a cave in Israel, “which may be the oldest archaeological find of coriander.”[2] Coriander is also one of the bitter herbs used for the Passover Seder.

Coriander was brought to British North America in 1670 and was one of the first cultivated herbs. It is found wild in Western Asia and southern Europe.

Which Parts To Use

Coriander as cilantro is best loosely chopped and added to dished near the very end of cooking. The delicate nature of the herb makes its flavor dissipate rapidly. To really get that flavor punch, add it at the end of cooking. Coriander the herb is excellent as a fresh herb. It is, if even available dry, most forgettable and regrettable. Use fresh.

Coriander the spice, however, is almost never seen fresh, only dry. It is round and about the size of a peppercorn, but there any similarity ends. It is mostly hollow inside, easy to crush and is very much to be used in the early stages of cooking to allow the oils to come out and flavor the dish.

Coriander is the seed of the plant, which produces very pretty flowers.  Sadly, their beauty does not make up for the, well, rather unpleasant odor they give off.  Some say it is akin to bad breath.  But, they are pretty.

Between the herb and the spice you can cook the world, or at least this part of it: Southeast Asia, China, Mexico, India, South America, Spain, Central Africa and Central America.[3]

Coriander the spice is used as an ingredient in curry powders and in a mixture known as Garam Masala.

Someone’s In The Garden

Coriander is pretty easy to grow. It is fond of not too hot. It likes coolish weather, so now, early May, is an excellent time in most parts of the country to plant. Curiously, coriander can withstand cooler temperatures, growing as in conditions as low as 14 degrees F. “Healthy soil is also important if you want to grow your own cilantro. Ideally, loose and sandy loam would work best for this herb. Feel free to add aged manure or high-quality compost to the soil bed as well, since this can speed up the growth of the plant and yield better herbs.”[4]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriander

[2] Ibid.

[3] Rodale Press, Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, 1987, pg 126.

[4] https://articles.mercola.com/herbs-spices/cilantro.aspx