Family Apiaceae

Coriander is an annual plant native to southern Europe, North Africa, and southwestern Asia. The root of the plant appears frequently in Thai recipes, including soups and curry pastes. Bunches of the delicately leaved greens are common in most supermarkets in North America, often labeled cilantro, but the roots are hard to come by. If you have a garden, the plants are easy to grow. In cities with a large Southeast Asian population, you can often find plants with the roots still attached at Asian groceries. Or, you may be able to special order them from an Asian market or even from a farmer at your local farmers’ market.