Coriandrum Sativum

Two species of slender, upright annuals belong to this genus which is native to SW Asia and N Africa. Coriandrum sativum (coriander) is a weed of cultivated and waste ground. One of the oldest known herbs, it has been cultivated for over 3,000 years and mentioned in Sanskrit, ancient Egyptian, Greek and Latin texts, as well as virtually all medieval herbals. Coriander was introduced to Chinese cooking and medicine c.CE600, since when it has been known as hu, “foriegn”. In Chinese Materia Medica (G.A. Stuart, 1911), it was recommended for certain types of non-pathogenic food poisoning caused by decaying matter. The fresh foliage and ripe seeds have quite different aromas and uses. Coriandrum comes from the Greek koriannon, a type of bed bug that apparently smells like coriander leaves. The characteristic scent of coriader foliage occurs in several unrelated species, including Eryngium foetidum (See, culantro) and Porophyllum ruderale subsp. macrocephalum (See, poreleaf), which are often grown as a substitute in tropical regions where coriander does not do well as a leaf crop.

Pliny, the famous Roman scholar and encyclopedist, named this cousin of the parsley plant coriandrum, taken from coris, which means “bug”, possibly because the coriander seed resembles a European bedbug. Coriander seed is used as an aromatic stimulant, a remedy for flatulence and poor appetite, and to improve digestion, while the seed oil is strongly antibacterial. In studies with laboratory animals, coriander lowered total cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, and blood fats, while increasing HDL “good” cholesterol.

Erect annual with pungently aromatic, pinnately divided, lobed leaves, becoming more finely divided higher up the flowering stem. White to mauve flowers are produced in umbels 3cm (1¼in) across in summer, followed by globular, ribbed, pale brown fruits that have a fruity scent when ripe.