Versatile aromatic herb for culinary use (Coriander)

Member Name: dooeyyooey

Product:	Coriander
Date:	26/05/09 (58 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Enhances the flavour of food

Disadvantages: None

Coriander is a herb that is used throughout the world in the preparation of food, being an essential ingredient to many traditional dishes, such as Morocco's chermoula and Thailand's curries.

The Plant
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Coriander is indigenous to Southern Europe and Southwestern Asia, although it can be found growing in other parts of the world, including Britain, to where they were first brought by the Romans.

Its scientific name is Coriadrum sativum, and it is an annual plant, meaning it germinates, seeds and dies in one year.

The plant can be 1 to 3 feet high, although it usually grows to be around 2 feet high.

The plant is bright green, slender with many branches. The lower leaves tend to be oval and lobed, whereas the upper leaves are more linear and slender.
The flowers are in short-stalked umbels, and can be very white or pale mauve in colour.
They produce very symmetrical fruit clusters that are called the "seeds", when dried, which are round in shape and very small (between 3 and 5 mm diameter).

The plant is known for its foetid smell, although this strong odour disappears as the plant dries.

Culinary Uses:
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The whole plant is edible, although the seeds and leaves are the most commonly used parts.

The seeds are widely available both whole and ground.
Coriander seeds are very aromatic and have a deep, warm, citrus-like flavour reminiscent of orange peel, which fades quickly when ground, so it is best to keep the seeds whole (in an airtight container and away from sunlight) and only grind them as and when needed.

Coriander seeds have a multitude of uses:

- In Europe, coriander seeds are used in pickling vegetables and in the brewing of some beers, notably some wheat beers in Belgium. In Germany they are used in the production of sausages.
- In Asia they form an integral part of many dishes, including many curries and south Indian gravies (rasam and sambhar). The seeds boiled with water are drunk as cold madicine and roasted seeds are also eaten as snacks.

Coriander leaves have a more lemony, lighter flavour.

Although the use of coriander leaves in cooking has declined in most of Europe (in Portugal they are still widely used), coriander leaves are present in traditional Chinese cooking, and are used in India to make chutneys, and as garnish on curries and dal, as well as in Mexico, in guacamole and salsas.

Cultivation
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We cultivate coriander in the garden in order to have fresh coriander whenever needed, as we like to use not just the seeds but also the leaves, and they taste better consumed right after picking. But coriander can also be grown indoors.

Outdoors, coriander can be sown in March and April, in warm, dry weather. If the weather is too cold during those months, wait until May, when the soil is warmer.
The seeds should be sown in shallow drills 1cm deep, and then covered with compost or soil.
Try to make the rows some 30-35cm apart, and the sow seeds around 4cm apart.

The seeds take around a fortnight to germinate.

Indoors, the container should have enough depth to allow the roots to grow (20cm) and some gravel at the bottom to allow good drainage and aeration.
Also, place the container in a warm spot near a south facing window, as coriander needs at least 4 hours of sunlight per day.

You can sow new seeds every couple of months, to ensure a steady supply all year-round.

Once the plant is about 10cm high, you can start harvesting the leaves. Harvesting the older leaves will also stimulate growth.

You can then use them in your cooking. Enjoy!

Summary: Fragrant, useful herb.