Coriander

APPEARANCE: Fresh coriander is usually sold as small plants, 4 to 6 inches long, each comprising a cluster of leaves arising from a small taproot. It looks much like its cousin, parsley, but the differences are many. Note that coriander leaflets are smaller, more delicate in texture, more hemispherical in shape, always flat — and distinctly scented.

QUALITY: Choose plants with more leaflet and less leaf stalk. Leaflets should be large, sprightly, and bright green.

COMMENTS: Coriander has been in the kitchen since the heydays of Egypt, Rome, and the Six Dynasties of China. Its seeds are used in the Middle East, while the leaves are used in India (known as hara dhania) and Mexico (known as cilantro), as well as China. The etymology of the plant’s name — from the Greek koros meaning bug — warns of the herb’s ambivalent nature.