Coriander

Sold in decent bunches only in some Indian, Chinese and Cypriot stores; although widely available in supermarkets, they sell it in pathetic little packs, insufficient to flavour a sparrow. Also called Chinese parsley (it can resemble flat-leaf parsley, see below) and, in Latin American cookery, cilantro. Fresh green coriander is the plant of the spice, coriander seed, although its flavour is entirely different and the two are not interchangeable in recipes. Its distinctive, fresh, pungent, sweaty flavour is an essential part of Indian, South-East Asian, Middle-Eastern and South and Central American cuisines.