Coriander

The roots, important in Thai cooking, are a culinary ingredient unique to the country. In Thailand, coriander is bought with long, trailing roots, but here the produce managers order them cut off for esthetic reasons. If you pick over all the bunches in the coriander bin, you may find some that sport partial root remnants. Buy these, even extra bunches, because these partial roots, valuable and scarce, can be cut off and stored for future use. When cleaning and despite whatever other use I planned, I immediately cut off the roots and one-quarter-inch of the stem directly above, wash and dry carefully and place in a small freezer container. When frozen and defrosted they appear soggy, but the flavor is not affected. Because of the amount of roots necessary for Siamese Fried Chicken (Gai Tord), for instance, I keep adding to my precious hoard every time I market.