Coriander Leaf (Cilantro)

At its best, fresh coriander (Coriandrum sativum) has a green pungency that you can smell as you approach it. You’ll find it in any well-run Parsi kitchen along with its companions, green chiles, curry leaves, and limes. In varying amounts, it goes into so many dishes that you’d think everything would taste the same; it doesn’t. I buy close-to-blooming kothmir at farmers’ markets, where it’s sold in feathery-leafed bunches bursting with flavor. See also Coriander Seed, below.