Coriander

Coriander is an annual (Coriandrum sativum) that grows in temperate and subtropical climates. It provides to the cook both an herb, coriander leaves (known in Spanish and in parts of North America as cilantro), and a spice, coriander seed. Its root is also used in Thai-Lao cooking to flavor curry pastes and marinades.

For people who don’t like fresh coriander, traveling in the Subcontinent can sometimes be a challenge, because it is so common. We love coriander, but we meet many people who feel just the opposite. When coriander appears outside its season, it can taste soapy, and we wonder whether people who don’t like it first tasted it when it was out of season or less than very fresh. Mint leaves, although very different in taste, can often be substituted for coriander leaves when they are called for as a last-minute addition to a dish.