Coriander

Flowers of Coriandrum sativum

Coriander is native to regions spanning from Southern Europe and Northern Africa to Southwestern Asia.

It is a soft plant growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems.

The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer (5–6 mm or 3⁄16–1⁄4 in) than those pointing toward it (only 1–3 mm or 1⁄16–1⁄8 in long). The fruit is a globular, dry schizocarp 3–5 mm (1⁄8–3⁄16 in) in diameter.[3] Pollen size is approximately 30 μm (0.0012 in).[4]

First attested in English during the late 14th century, the word "coriander" derives from the Old French coriandre, which comes from Latin coriandrum,[5] in turn from Ancient Greek κορίαννον koríannon (or κορίανδρον koríandron),[6][7] possibly derived from or related to κόρις kóris (a bed bug),[8][9] and was given on account of its foetid, bed bug-like smell.[10]

The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek ko-ri-ja-da-na[11] (variants: ko-ri-a₂-da-na, ko-ri-ja-do-no, ko-ri-jo-da-na)[12] written in Linear B syllabic script (reconstructed as koriadnon, similar to the name of Minos' daughter Ariadne) which later evolved to koriannon or koriandron,[13] and Koriander (German).[14]

Cilantro is the Spanish word for coriander, also deriving from coriandrum. It is the common term in American English for coriander leaves due to their extensive use in Mexican cuisine, but the seeds are referred to as coriander in American English.[14]

Coriander grows wild over a wide area of Western Asia and Southern Europe, prompting the comment: "It is hard to define exactly where this plant is wild and where it only recently established itself."[15] Recent works suggested that coriander accessions found in the wild in Israel and Portugal might represent the ancestor of the cultivated coriander.[16][17] They have low germination rates and a small vegetative appearance. The accession found in Israel has an extremely hard fruit coat.[16]

Fifteen desiccated mericarps were found in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B level (six to eight thousand years ago) of the Nahal Hemar Cave, published in Kislev 1988, and eleven from ~8,000–7,500 years ago in Pre-Pottery Neolithic C in Atlit-Yam, published as Kislev et al. 2004, both in Israel. If these finds do belong to these archaeological layers, they are the oldest find of coriander in the world.[18]^: 163

About 500 millilitres (17 US fl oz) of coriander mericarps were recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamen, and because this plant does not grow wild in Egypt, Zohary and Hopf interpret this find as proof that coriander was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians.[15]

The Ebers Papyrus, an Egyptian text dated around 1550 BC, mentioned uses of coriander.[19]

Coriander seems to have been cultivated in Greece since at least the second millennium BC. One of the Linear B tablets recovered from Pylos refers to the species as being cultivated for the manufacture of perfumes; it was used in two forms – as a spice for its seeds and as an herb for the flavour of its leaves.[13]

This appears to be confirmed by archaeological evidence from the same period; the large quantities of the species retrieved from an Early Bronze Age layer at Sitagroi in Macedonia could point to cultivation of the species at that time.[20]

Later, coriander was mentioned by Hippocrates (around 400 BC), as well as Dioscorides (65 AD).[19]

Raw coriander leaves are 92% water, 4% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and less than 1% fat (table). The nutritional profile of coriander seeds is different from that of fresh stems or leaves. In a 100-gram (3+1⁄2 oz) reference amount, leaves are particularly rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, with moderate content of dietary minerals (table). Although seeds generally have lower vitamin content, they do provide significant amounts of dietary fiber, calcium, selenium, iron, magnesium, and manganese.[30]

Linalool, a terpenoid, is a major contributor to the fragrance of coriander.[31]

The essential oil from coriander leaves and seeds contains mixed polyphenols and terpenes, including linalool as the major constituent accounting for the aroma and flavour of coriander.[32]

Different people may perceive the taste of coriander leaves differently. Those who enjoy it say it has a refreshing, lemony or lime-like flavour, while those who dislike it have a strong aversion to its pungent taste and smell, characterizing it as soapy or rotten.[33] Studies also show variations in preference among different ethnic groups: 21% of East Asians, 17% of Caucasians, and 14% of people of African descent expressed a dislike for coriander, but among the groups where coriander is popular in their cuisine, only 7% of South Asians, 4% of Hispanics, and 3% of Middle Eastern subjects expressed a dislike.[34]

About 80% of identical twins shared the same preference for the herb, but fraternal twins agreed only about half the time, strongly suggesting a genetic component to the preference. In a genetic survey of nearly 30,000 people, two genetic variants linked to the perception of coriander have been found, the most common of which is a gene involved in sensing smells.[35] The gene OR6A2 lies within a cluster of olfactory-receptor genes, and encodes a receptor that is highly sensitive to aldehyde chemicals. Flavour chemists have found that the coriander aroma is created by a half-dozen substances, most of which are aldehydes. Those who dislike the taste are sensitive to the offending unsaturated aldehydes and, at the same time, may be unable to detect the aromatic chemicals that others find pleasant.[36] Association between its taste and several other genes, including a bitter-taste receptor, have also been found.[37]

Some people are allergic to coriander leaves or seeds, having symptoms similar to those of other food allergies. In one study examining people suspected of food allergies to spices, 32% of pin-prick tests in children and 23% in adults were positive for coriander and other members of the family Apiaceae, including caraway, fennel, and celery.[38] The allergic symptoms may be minor or life-threatening.[39]

Other herbs are used where they grow in much the same way as coriander leaves.

• Eryngium foetidum, also a member of the Apiaceae, has a similar but more intense taste. Known as culantro and as Ngo Gai, it is found in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and South East Asia cuisine.[40]
• Persicaria odorata is commonly called Vietnamese coriander, or rau răm. The leaves have a similar odour and flavour to coriander. It is a member of the Polygonaceae, or buckwheat family.[40]
• Papaloquelite is one common name for Porophyllum ruderale subsp. macrocephalum, a member of the Asteraceae, the sunflower family. This species is found growing wild from Texas to Argentina.[40]

• Media related to Coriandrum sativum at Wikimedia Commons