Ingredient: Coriander seeds
Category: Herbs, Spices & Seasoning
Season: All
Coriander, Coriandrum sativum, also commonly called cilantro, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae.
Coriander is native to southwestern Asia and west to north Africa.
It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 cm [20 in.] tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems.
The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, and with the petals that point away from the centre of the umbel being longer (5-6 mm) than those pointing to the middle of the umbel (only 1-3 mm long).
The fruit is a globular dry schizocarp 3-5 mm diameter
Fruit (seed)
The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds or coriandi seeds.
In some regions, the use of the word coriander in food preparation always refers to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant itself.
The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to the presence of the terpenes linalool and pinene. It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured. They are usually dried but can be eaten green.
If the fruit is obtained in its natural form, it can later be dried in the sun.
Most commonly, it is bought as whole dried seeds, but it can also be found as a powder.
When grinding at home, it can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly to enhance the aroma before grinding it in an electric grinder or with a mortar and pestle; ground coriander seeds lose their flavour quickly in storage and are best ground as only needed.
For optimum flavour, whole coriander seed should be used within six months, or stored for no more than a year in a tightly sealed container away from sunlight and heat.
Asia
Coriander seed is a key spice (Hindi name: dhania) in garam masala and Indian curries, which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with cumin. It also acts as a thickener.
Roasted coriander seeds, called dhana dal, are also eaten as a snack. It is also the main ingredient of the two south Indian gravies: sambhar and rasam.
Outside of Asia, coriander seed is an important spice for sausages in Germany and South Africa.
In Russia and Central Europe coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in rye bread as an alternative to caraway.
Apart from the uses just noted, coriander seeds are rarely used in European cuisine today, though they were more important in former centuries.
Coriander seeds are also used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian wheat beers. The coriander seeds are typically used in conjunction with orange peel to add a sultry citrus character to these styles of beer. The tiny beige-brown seeds, a magical spice that is said to have the flavour of roasted orange peel.
Coriander seeds are important in curries, Middle Eastern and Greek dishes
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