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{{Short description|Annual herb}}
{{About|the herb|other uses}}
{{Redirect-distinguish-text|Cilantro|the related herb ''[[Eryngium foetidum]]'', also known as "culantro"}}
{{Redirect-synonym|Chinese parsley|the unrelated herb ''[[Heliotropium curassavicum]]''}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
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{{speciesbox
| name = Coriander 
| image = Coriandrum sativum - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-193.jpg
| image_caption = Illustration of coriander parts
| genus = Coriandrum
| species = sativum
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
{{SpecialChars
| compact    = 
| special    = [[Linear B Syllabary|Linear B Unicode characters]]
| fix        = Help:Multilingual_support#Linear B
| characters = Linear B
}}
{{stack end}}

'''Coriander''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|ɒr|i|ˈ|æ|n|d|ər|,_|ˈ|k|ɒr|i|æ|n|d|ər}}),<ref name="epd">{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Daniel |title=Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary |date=6 October 2011 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-76575-6 |pages=110 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bfLXAAAAQBAJ |access-date=31 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref> whose leaves are known as '''cilantro''' ({{IPAc-en|s|ɪ|ˈ|l|æ|n|t|r|oʊ|,_|-|ˈ|l|ɑː|n|-}}){{r|epd|p=90}} in the U.S. and parts of Canada and '''dhania''' in India and East Africa, is an [[annual plant|annual]] [[herb]] ('''''Coriandrum sativum''''') in the family [[Apiaceae]].

Most people perceive the leaves as having a fresh, slightly [[citrus]] taste. Due to variations in the gene [[OR6A2]], some people perceive it to have a [[soap]]-like taste, or even a pungent or rotten taste.<ref name="flavour-journal">{{cite journal|title=A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference|date=29 November 2012|journal=Flavour|
first1=N.|last1=Eriksson|first2=S.|last2=Wu|first3=C.B.|last3=Do|volume=1 |doi=10.1186/2044-7248-1-22|s2cid=199627 |doi-access=free|arxiv=1209.2096}}</ref>

It is native to the [[Mediterranean Basin]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grivetti |first1=Louis |title=Coriander |url=https://nutritionalgeography.faculty.ucdavis.edu/coriander/ |access-date=7 December 2023 |website=Nutritional Geography: The integration of physical landscape, culture, and economics |publisher=University of California, Davis Nutrition Department}}</ref> All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking. It is used in certain cuisines, like [[Mexican cuisine|Mexican]], [[Indian cuisine|Indian]] and [[Southeast Asian cuisine|Southeast Asian]].

== Description ==
[[File:Coriandrum sativum 003.JPG|thumb|225px| Coriandrum sativum Flowers]]It is a soft plant growing to {{convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}} 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 [[flower]]s are borne in small [[umbel]]s, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer ({{convert|abbr=on|5|–|6|mm|in|frac=16|disp=or}}) than those pointing toward it (only {{convert|abbr=on|1|–|3|mm|in|frac=16|disp=or}} long). The [[fruit]] is a globular, dry [[schizocarp]] {{convert|3|–|5|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on}} in diameter.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Maiti |first1=Ratikanta |title=Crop Plant Anatomy |date=2012 |publisher=CABI |isbn=978-1-78064-174-4 |page=262 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8_m7aIfR7xEC&dq=coriander+fruit+schizocarp&pg=PA263 |access-date=24 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The pollen size is approximately {{cvt|30|μm}}.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Auer |first1=Waltraud |title=- A palynological database |url=https://www.paldat.org/pub/Coriandrum_sativum/305985 |website=PalDat - A palynological database |access-date=24 July 2022}}</ref>

=== Taste and smell ===
[[File:Linalool skeletal.svg|thumb|132px|[[Linalool]], a [[terpenoid]], is a major contributor to the fragrance of coriander.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Burdock |first1=George A. |last2=Carabin |first2=Ioana G. |year=2009 |title=Safety Assessment of Coriander (''Coriandrum sativum'' L.) Essential Oil as a Food Ingredient |journal=Food and Chemical Toxicology |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=22–34 |doi=10.1016/j.fct.2008.11.006 |pmid=19032971}}</ref>]]

The essential oil from coriander leaves and seeds contains mixed [[polyphenol]]s and [[Terpene|terpenes]], including [[linalool]] as the major constituent accounting for the aroma and flavour of coriander.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zheljazkov |first1=V. D |last2=Astatkie |first2=T |last3=Schlegel |first3=V |year=2014 |title=Hydrodistillation extraction time effect on essential oil yield, composition, and bioactivity of coriander oil |journal=Journal of Oleo Science |volume=63 |issue=9 |pages=857–65 |doi=10.5650/jos.ess14014 |pmid=25132088 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rubenstein |first=Sarah |date=13 February 2009 |title=Across the Land, People Are Fuming Over an Herb (No, Not That One) |url=https://www.wsj.com/article/SB123446387388578461.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118213337/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123446387388578461 |archive-date=18 November 2015 |access-date=24 July 2012 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Lilli Mauer |author2=Ahmed El-Sohemy |date=2 May 2012 |title=Prevalence of cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) disliking among different ethnocultural groups |journal=Flavour |volume=1 |issue=8 |pages=8 |doi=10.1186/2044-7248-1-8 |doi-access=free |hdl-access=free |hdl=1807/86813}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Francke |first1=Uta |last2=Hinds |first2=David A. |last3=Mountain |first3=Joanna L. |last4=Tung |first4=Joyce Y. |last5=Kiefer |first5=Amy K. |last6=Do |first6=Chuong B. |last7=Wu |first7=Shirley |last8=Eriksson |first8=Nicholas |date=10 September 2012 |title=A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference |journal=Quantitative Biology |language=en |arxiv=1209.2096}}</ref> 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 [[Saturated and unsaturated compounds|unsaturated]] aldehydes and, at the same time, may be unable to detect the aromatic chemicals that others find pleasant.<ref>{{cite web |author=Josh Kurz |date=26 December 2008 |title=Getting to the Root of the Great Cilantro Divide |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98695984 |work=NPR}}</ref> Association between its taste and several other genes, including a bitter-taste receptor, have also been found.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Knaapila A, Hwang LD, Lysenko A, Duke FF, Fesi B, Khoshnevisan A, James RS, Wysocki CJ, Rhyu M, Tordoff MG, Bachmanov AA, Mura E, Nagai H, Reed DR |year=2012 |title=Genetic analysis of chemosensory traits in human twins |journal=Chemical Senses |volume=37 |issue=9 |pages=869–81 |doi=10.1093/chemse/bjs070 |pmc=3589946 |pmid=22977065}}</ref>

=== Similar plants ===
* ''[[Eryngium foetidum]]'', also a member of the [[Apiaceae]], has a similar but more intense taste. Known as culantro and ''ngò gai'', it is found in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and South East Asia cuisine.<ref name="Tucker, A.O. 1992">{{cite journal |last1=Tucker |first1=A.O. |last2=DeBaggio |first2=T. |year=1992 |title=Cilantro Around The World |journal=Herb Companion |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=36–41}}</ref>
* ''[[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.<ref name="Tucker, A.O. 1992" />
* "Summer cilantro" 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.<ref name="Tucker, A.O. 1992" />

== Etymology ==
First attested in English during the late 14th century, the word "coriander" derives from the [[Old French]] {{lang|fro|coriandre}}, which comes from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|coriandrum}},<ref>{{L&S|coriandrum|ref}}</ref> in turn from [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc |κορίαννον}} {{Transliteration|grc|koríannon}} (or {{lang|grc |κορίανδρον}} ''{{Transliteration|grc|koríandron}}''),<ref>{{LSJ|kori/annon|κορίαννον|ref}}.</ref><ref>"Coriander", ''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd ed., 1989. Oxford University Press.</ref> possibly derived from or related to {{lang|grc|κόρις}} ''{{Transliteration|grc|kóris}}'' (a bed bug),<ref>{{LSJ|ko/ris|κόρις|shortref}}.</ref><ref>{{OEtymD|coriander}}</ref> and was given on account of its fetid, bug-like smell.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Coriander|volume=7|page=146}}</ref>

The earliest attested form of the word is the [[Mycenaean Greek]] {{transliteration|gmy|ko-ri-ja-da-na}}<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.palaeolexicon.com/default.aspx?static=12&wid=396 |title= The Linear B word ko-ri-ja-da-na |work=Palaeolexicon}}</ref> (variants: {{transliteration|gmy|ko-ri-a<sub>2</sub>-da-na}}, {{transliteration|gmy|ko-ri-ja-do-no}}, {{transliteration|gmy|ko-ri-jo-da-na}})<ref>{{cite book|title=Medicine and Healing in the Ancient Mediterranean|first=Robert|last=Arnott|editor-first=Demetrios|editor-last=Michaelides|page=48|isbn=978-1-78297-235-8|publisher=Oxbow Books|year=2014|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WF3dCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA48|chapter=Healers and Medicines in the Mycenaean Greek Texts}}</ref> written in [[Linear B]] syllabic script (reconstructed as ''{{transliteration |grc|koriadnon}}'', similar to the name of [[Minos]]' daughter [[Ariadne]]) which later evolved to ''koriannon'' or ''koriandron'',<ref name="Chadwick">{{cite book |title=The Mycenaean World |url=https://archive.org/details/mycenaeanworld00chad |url-access=registration |last=Chadwick |first=John |publisher= Cambridge University Press |year=1976 |page= [https://archive.org/details/mycenaeanworld00chad/page/119 119]|isbn=9780521290371 }}</ref> and {{Lang|de|Koriander}} ([[German language|German]]).<ref name="spice">{{cite web|url=http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Cori_sat.html|publisher=Gernot Katzer Spice Pages|title=Coriander (''Coriandrum sativum'')|date=29 February 2012|access-date=1 July 2018}}</ref>

''{{lang|es|Cilantro}}'' is the Spanish word for coriander, also deriving from ''coriandrum''. It is the common term in [[English language#North America|US English]] for coriander leaves due to their extensive use in [[Mexican cuisine]], but the seeds are referred to as ''coriander'' in American English.<ref name=spice/>

==Origin ==
Coriander grows wild over a wide area of Western Asia and Southern Europe, making it difficult to define where the plant is native and where it was only recently established.<ref name=ZoharyHopf>{{cite book |first1=Daniel |last1=Zohary |first2=Maria |last2=Hopf |title=Domestication of Plants in the Old World |edition=Third |location=Oxford, UK |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2000 |pages=205–206 |isbn=0-19-850357-1 }}</ref> Recent works suggest that wild coriander in Israel and Portugal might be an ancestor of cultivated coriander.<ref name="Arora-et-al-2021">{{cite journal | last1=Arora | first1=Vivek | last2=Adler | first2=Chen | last3=Tepikin | first3=Alina | last4=Ziv | first4=Gili | last5=Kahane | first5=Tali | last6=Abu-Nassar | first6=Jackline | last7=Golan | first7=Sivan | last8=Mayzlish-Gati | first8=Einav | last9=Gonda | first9=Itay | title=Wild coriander: an untapped genetic resource for future coriander breeding | journal=Euphytica | publisher=Springer | volume=217 | issue=7 | date=2021-06-09 | page=138 | issn=0014-2336 | doi=10.1007/s10681-021-02870-4 | bibcode=2021Euphy.217..138A | s2cid=236230461}} Article number 138.</ref>{{better source needed|date=April 2022}}<ref name="Lopes-et-al-2017">{{cite journal | last1=Lopes | first1=E. | last2=Farinha | first2=N. | last3=Póvoa | first3=O. | title=Characterization and evaluation of traditional and wild coriander in Alentejo (Portugal) | journal=Acta Horticulturae| issue=1153 | year=2017 | issn=0567-7572 | doi=10.17660/actahortic.2017.1153.12 | pages=77–84 | s2cid=133171354}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=April 2022}} They have low germination rates and a small vegetative appearance. Israeli coriander has an extremely hard fruit coat.<ref name="Arora-et-al-2021" />

In [[Israel]], fifteen desiccated [[mericarp]]s were found in the [[Pre-Pottery Neolithic B]] level (six to eight thousand years ago) of the [[Nahal Hemar]] Cave,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kislev |first=Mordechai E. |date=1988 |title=Early Agriculture and Paleoecology of Netiv Hagdud |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283349626 |journal=An Early Neolithic Village in the Jordan Valley |via=ResearchGate}}</ref> and eleven from ~8,000–7,500 years ago in [[Pre-Pottery Neolithic C]] in [[Atlit-Yam]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kislev |first1=Mordechai E |last2=Hartmann |first2=Anat |last3=Galili |first3=Ehud |date=2004-09-01 |title=Archaeobotanical and archaeoentomological evidence from a well at Atlit-Yam indicates colder, more humid climate on the Israeli coast during the PPNC period |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440304000299 |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |volume=31 |issue=9 |pages=1301–1310 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2004.02.010 |bibcode=2004JArSc..31.1301K |issn=0305-4403|url-access=subscription }}</ref> If these finds do belong to these archaeological layers, they are the oldest find of coriander in the world.<ref name="Zohary-et-al-2012">{{cite book | last1=Zohary | first1=Daniel | last2=Hopf | first2=Maria | last3=Weiss | first3=Ehud | title=Domestication of Plants in the Old World: The origin and spread of domesticated plants in Southwest Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean Basin | publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, UK | date=2012 | isbn=9780199549061 | oclc=784886646 | pages=xi+243+17 plates }}</ref>{{rp|page=163}}

About {{convert|500|ml|USoz}} of coriander mericarps were recovered from the tomb of [[Tutankhamen]]. As coriander does not grow wild in Egypt, this could be proof that coriander was cultivated by the [[ancient Egypt]]ians.<ref name=ZoharyHopf /> The [[Ebers Papyrus]], an Egyptian text dated around 1550 [[BCE]], mentioned uses of coriander.<ref name="pickersgill">{{cite book |editor1-last=Prance |editor1-first=Ghillean |editor2-last=Nesbitt |editor2-first=Mark |last1=Pickersgill |first1=Barbara |author-link=Barbara Pickersgill |date=2005 |title=The Cultural History of Plants |publisher=Routledge |page=161 |isbn=0415927463}}</ref>

Coriander may have been cultivated in Greece since at least the second millennium BCE. 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.<ref name="Chadwick" /> This appears to be confirmed by archaeological evidence: the large quantities of coriander retrieved from an [[Early Bronze Age]] layer at [[Sitagroi]] in [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]] could point to cultivation of the herb at that time.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fragiska |first=M. |year=2005 |title=Wild and Cultivated Vegetables, Herbs and Spices in Greek Antiquity |journal=Environmental Archaeology |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=73–82 |doi=10.1179/146141005790083858 }}</ref>

== Allergies ==
Some people are allergic to coriander leaves or seeds, having symptoms similar to those of other [[Food allergy|food allergies]]. A cross-sectional study of 589 cases where food allergies to spices were suspected found 32% of [[Skin allergy test|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]].<ref name="aip">{{cite journal |last1=Moneret-Vautrin |first1=D. A |last2=Morisset |first2=M |last3=Lemerdy |first3=P |last4=Croizier |first4=A |last5=Kanny |first5=G |year=2002 |title=Food allergy and IgE sensitization caused by spices: CICBAA data (based on 589 cases of food allergy) |journal=Allergie et Immunologie |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=135–40 |pmid=12078423}}</ref> The allergic symptoms may be minor or life-threatening.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Christina Agapakis |date=18 September 2011 |title=Allergy Recapitulates Phylogeny |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/oscillator/allergy-recapitulates-phylogeny/ |access-date=17 March 2018 |magazine=Scientific American}}</ref>

== Uses ==

=== Nutrition ===
{{nutritional value
| name = Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw
| water = 92.21 g
| kJ = 95
| protein = 2.13 g
| fat = 0.52 g
| carbs = 3.67 g
| fiber = 2.8 g
| sugars = 0.87
| calcium_mg = 67
| iron_mg = 1.77
| magnesium_mg = 26
| phosphorus_mg = 48
| potassium_mg = 521
| sodium_mg = 46
| zinc_mg = 0.5
| manganese_mg = 0.426
| vitC_mg = 27
| thiamin_mg = 0.067
| riboflavin_mg = 0.162
| niacin_mg = 1.114
| pantothenic_mg = 0.57
| vitB6_mg = 0.149
| folate_ug = 62
| vitA_ug = 337
| betacarotene_ug = 3930
| lutein_ug = 865
| vitE_mg = 2.5
| vitK_ug = 310
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169997/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
Raw coriander leaves are 92% water, 4% [[carbohydrate]]s, 2% [[protein]], and less than 1% [[fat]]. The nutritional profile of coriander seeds is different from that of fresh stems or leaves. In a {{convert|100|g|oz|frac=2|adj=on}} reference amount, leaves are particularly rich in [[vitamin A]], [[vitamin C]], and [[vitamin K]], with moderate content of [[Mineral (nutrient)|dietary minerals]]. Although seeds generally have lower vitamin content, they do provide significant amounts of [[dietary fiber]], [[calcium]], [[selenium]], [[iron]], [[magnesium]], and [[manganese]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Nutrients, coriander seeds per 100&nbsp;g |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170922/nutrients |access-date=23 November 2024|date=1 April 2019 |publisher=FoodData Central, US Department of Agriculture}}</ref>

=== Culinary ===
All parts of the plant are edible. Fresh leaves and dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Coriander roots are an important element of Thai cooking. Coriander is used in cuisines throughout the world.<ref name=Samuelsson>{{cite book|last=Samuelsson|first=Marcus|title=Aquavit: And the New Scandinavian Cuisine|date=2003|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0-618-10941-8|page=12 (of 312)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oxhA_Xp1ZjAC}}</ref>

==== Leaves ====
{{Cookbook|Cilantro}}[[File:A scene of Coriander leaves.JPG|thumb|right|Coriander leaves]]

The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, fresh coriander, Chinese parsley, or cilantro (US, commercially in Canada, and Spanish-speaking countries). The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many foods, such as [[chutney]]s and salads, [[salsa (sauce)|salsa]], [[guacamole]], and as a widely used garnish for soup, fish, and meat.<ref name=Moulin>{{cite book|last=Moulin|first=Léo|title=Eating and Drinking in Europe: A Cultural History|date=2002|publisher=Mercatorfonds|isbn=978-9061535287|page=168|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gvSBAAAAMAAJ}}</ref> As heat diminishes their flavour, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish immediately before serving. In [[Indian cuisine|Indian]] and Central [[Asian cuisine|Asian]] recipes, coriander or dhania leaves are used in large amounts and cooked until the flavour diminishes.<ref name=spice/> The leaves spoil quickly when removed from the plant and lose their aroma when dried or frozen.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}
<!-- misplaced?:
Coriander potentially may be confused with [[culantro]] (''Eryngium foetidum'' L.), in the same family (Apiaceae) as coriander (''Coriandrum sativum'' L.), but from a different [[genus]]. Culantro has a distinctly different spiny appearance, a more potent volatile leaf oil<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-506.html|author=Ramcharan, C.|year=1999|pages=506–509|editor=J. Janick|title=Perspectives on new crops and new uses – Chapter: Culantro: A much utilized, little understood herb|publisher=ASHS Press}}</ref> and a stronger aroma.-->

The taste of the leaves differs from that of the seeds. The seeds exhibit [[citrus]] overtones. The dominant flavorants in the leaves are the aldehydes [[2-Decenal|2-decenal]] and [[2-Dodecenal|2-dodecenal]]. The main flavorant in the seeds is (+)-linalool.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1002/14356007.t11_t03|chapter=Flavors and Fragrances, 4. Natural Raw Materials |title=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry |year=2015 |last1=Panten |first1=Johannes |last2=Surburg |first2=Horst |pages=1–58 |isbn=9783527306732 }}</ref>

==== Seeds ====
{{Cookbook|Coriander}}{{More citations needed section|date=April 2022}}

[[File:Coriander Seeds.jpg|thumb|right|Dried coriander fruits are often called "coriander seeds" when used as a spice.]]

The dry fruits are coriander seeds. The word "coriander" in food preparation may refer solely to these seeds (as a spice), rather than the plant. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavor when crushed due to the [[terpene]]s [[linalool]] (which comprises about two thirds of its volatile components) and [[pinene]].<ref name="foodscience1">{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Arielle J. |last2=Heymann |first2=Hildegarde |last3=Ebeler |first3=Susan E. |title=Volatile and sensory profiling of cocktail bitters |journal=Food Chemistry |date=2015 |volume=179 |pages=343–354 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.01.114 |pmid=25722175 |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a2078dfd0e628d8c8aadd02/t/5a29d3e6085229c528e32b2f/1512690666756/Volatile_and_sensory_profiling_of_cockta.pdf |access-date=19 December 2023}}</ref> It is described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured.

The variety ''C. sativum'' var''. sativum'' has a fruit diameter of {{convert|3|–|5|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on}}, while var. ''microcarpum'' fruits have a diameter of {{convert|1.5|–|3.0|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}, and var. ''indicum'' has elongated fruits.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Diederichsen|first1=A.|last2=Hammer|first2=K.|date=2003|title=infraspecific taxa of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.).|url=http://link.springer.com/10.1023/A:1022973124839|journal=Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution|volume=50|issue=1|pages=33–63|doi=10.1023/A:1022973124839|s2cid=25902571|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Large-fruited types are grown mainly by tropical and subtropical countries, such as Morocco, India, and Australia, and contain a low volatile oil content (0.1–0.4%). They are used for grinding and blending purposes in the spice trade. Types with smaller fruit are produced in temperate regions and usually have a volatile oil content of around 0.4–1.8%, so they are highly valued as a raw material for the preparation of essential oil.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crop.cri.nz/psp/broadshe/coriand.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040404072132/http://www.crop.cri.nz/psp/broadshe/coriand.htm|archive-date=4 April 2004|title=Coriander – Coriandrum sativum|author=Bruce Smallfield|date=June 1993}}</ref>

Coriander is commonly found both as whole dried seeds and in [[milling (grinding)|ground]] form. Roasting or heating the seeds in a dry pan heightens the flavor, aroma, and pungency. Ground coriander seed loses flavor quickly in storage and is best ground fresh. Coriander seed is a spice in ''[[garam masala]]'', and [[Cuisine of India|Indian]] curries, which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with [[cumin]], acting as a thickener in a mixture called ''dhania jeera''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myspicesage.com/dhana-jeera-powder-p-731.html |title=Dhana Jeera Powder – Also Known As Cumin and Coriander Blend or Dhanajiru Powder |publisher=My Spice Sage |access-date=2016-01-14 |archive-date=7 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907183855/http://www.myspicesage.com/dhana-jeera-powder-p-731.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Roasted coriander seeds, called ''dhania dal'', are eaten as a snack.

Outside of Asia, coriander seed is used widely for [[pickling]] vegetables. In [[German cuisine|Germany]] and [[South African cuisine|South Africa]] (see ''[[boerewors]]''), the seeds are used while making sausages. In [[Russian cuisine|Russia]] and Central [[European cuisine|Europe]], coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in [[rye]] bread (e.g. [[Borodinsky bread]]) as an alternative to [[caraway]]. The [[Zuni people]] of North America have adopted it into their cuisine, mixing the powdered seeds ground with chili peppers, using it as a condiment with meat, and eating leaves as a salad.<ref>Stevenson, Matilda Coxe 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #30 (p. 66)</ref>

[[File:Onion Corriander Paratha.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Onion coriander [[paratha]]]]
Coriander seeds are used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some [[Beer in Belgium|Belgian]] [[wheat beers]]. The coriander seeds are used with orange peel to add a citrus character.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

Coriander seeds are one of the key botanicals used to flavor [[gin]].{{fact|date=September 2024}}

One preliminary study showed coriander [[essential oil]] to inhibit [[Gram-positive]] and [[Gram-negative bacteria]], including ''[[Staphylococcus aureus]]'', ''[[Enterococcus faecalis]], [[Pseudomonas aeruginosa]],'' and ''[[Escherichia coli]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Silva|first1=Filomena|last2=Ferreira|first2=Susana|last3=Queiroz|first3=Joao A|last4=Domingues|first4=Fernanda C|date=2011|title=Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) essential oil: its antibacterial activity and mode of action evaluated by flow cytometry|journal=Journal of Medical Microbiology|doi=10.1099/jmm.0.034157-0|pmid=21862758|volume=60|issue=Pt 10|pages=1479–86}}</ref>

Coriander is listed as one of the original ingredients in the [[Coca-Cola formula|secret formula]] for [[Coca-Cola]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=For God, Country and Coca-Cola|last=Pendergrast|first=Mark|publisher=Collier|year=1994|pages=422}}</ref>

==== Roots ====
[[File:Coriander roots.JPG|thumb|right|Coriander roots]]

Coriander [[root]]s have a deeper, more intense flavour than the leaves and are used in a variety of Asian cuisines, particularly in [[List of Thai dishes|Thai dishes]] such as soups or [[Thai curry|curry pastes]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

== In culture ==
Coriander was mentioned by [[Hippocrates]] (around 400 BCE), as well as [[Dioscorides]] (65 CE).<ref name="pickersgill" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons-inline}}

{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Edible Apiaceae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q41611}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Edible Apiaceae]]
[[Category:Herbs]]
[[Category:Indian spices]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Plants used in Native American cuisine]]
[[Category:Spices]]
[[Category:Apioideae]]