Cilantro / Coriander   -   [Coriander, Chinese Parsley; dhania (India, Britain), Ngo, Mui (Viet), coriandolo (Italy); xiang cai, heung choy (China); Coriandrum sativum (Parsley family)]

Originating in Western Asia and/or Southern Europe, coriander has been cultivated at least since the days of Tutankhamen and gathered wild from deep into prehistory. It was brought to North America by the first English and Dutch settlers. All parts of the plant are edible.

Cilantro   [Coriander Leaf]   This herb was once in common use all over Europe, but has been completely supplanted by parsley. Only traditional recipes in southern Portugal still call for it. On the other hand, it is greatly used, sometimes to excess, in most non-European cuisines worldwide. In North America it is now available in just about every supermarket and independent market. Some that I shop at must sell at least a cubic yard of it on a typical Saturday.

There is a strong "I hate Cilantro" movement on the Internet, but the condition is curable by exposure. A leader of one such group, after extensive testing for hate articles, realized she had come to rather like cilantro and had to resign. Hers is not the only such story.

Buying & Storing:   Ethnic markets and farmer's markets are the best sources because you can count on it being fresh. If needed, it can be refreshed by cutting off the bottom 1/2 inch or so of the stems and standing in a cup with an inch of cool water in it. Remove any substandard leaves and bag it loosely in plastic. Stored in the refrigerator it will last more than a week but should be replaced weekly because it slowly declines in flavor. Dried completely worthless and frozen isn't much better.

Cooking:   Cilantro is most often used raw as a salad ingredient, garnish or component of a salsa. When cooked it should be added at the very end of cooking as heat quickly degrades the flavor.

Coriander Seed:   These "seeds" are actually dried fruits containing the seeds. While not now used in Europe to anywhere near the extent they were in Medieval times, coriander seeds are still used in pickling and sausage making. In India they are used in vast quantity for all manner of curries and spice mixtures, almost always with Cumin at a ration of about 1 T Coriander to 1 t cumin. This combination was also popular in Imperial Rome, and is used in Africa and the Middle East.

Buying & Storing:   Clearly the best place to buy is in an Indian market where you can buy any quantity you need very cheaply and can be sure its fresh. Otherwise the ethnic section of most independent markets. Store tightly sealed in a glass jar in a cool place away from light and it'll last about a year. Don't buy it ground which turns quickly to sawdust - grind your own as needed.

Cooking:   In India and parts of Africa coriander seed is dry roasted before grinding and/or incorporated in a recipe. Since it's almost always accompanied by Cumin, I roast the cumin first as it's easier to tell by smell when the pan is hot enough. The seeds should become aromatic and darken only just slightly. Cool before grinding.

Health & Nutrition:   Researchers have recently found coriander oil to be a powerful anti-bacterial agent, useful for food preservation and safety. It was found effective against almost all bacteria tested.

Cilantro Root: While perfectly edible, cilantro roots seem to be used only in the cuisine of Thailand, where they go into curry pastes and some soups.

Buying & Storing:   The only place you're going to get cilantro roots is at a farmer's market, and even then you may have to ask the grower to bring you some the next week. If you cut the stems off as you would for carrots, cilantro root can be stored loosely wrapped in plastic refrigerated with the carrots and turnips. They will last for about 3 weeks, and can also be frozen.

Subst:   In recipes that call for roots, if you can't get them, use stems, but no leaves.

Dhana Dal:   This is actually coriander seeds, extracted from the fruit husks and toasted. It's very tasty but is strictly an Indian specialty available only in Indian markets. It is a relatively new product, and named partly in hope of getting around export taxes on spices by calling it "Dal". The courts ruled otherwise.

It is used primarily as a mouth freshener after meals. If it was not toasted as purchased it should be lightly toasted, but not enough to significantly change its color. It is also used in Sambars and the like in Southern India.