Cilantro / coriander

Coriandrum sativum

herb

Fresh leaves of an annual umbellifer, with a sharp, lemony taste, essential in Asia, Latin America and around the Mediterranean; its dried fruits are another spice. It provides vitamin K1 and chlorophyll.

Origin

Eastern Mediterranean

Season (United States)

May to October · grows in your region

Preparation

The stems are eaten with the leaves, and the roots too: in Thailand they are the base of curry pastes. It grows at ground level and catches the splashes of watering: washing it leaf by leaf, in plenty of water, beats a quick rinse of the whole bunch.

Molecules

Vitamin K1 · ChlorophyllIn small amounts, not counted Falcarinol

Did you know?

To some people it tastes of soap: a variant of the OR6A2 gene, a smell receptor highly sensitive to aldehydes.