What is Cilantro?

Cilantro is also called Coriander, or Dhania. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa, as well as southwestern Asia. It is a soft plant growing to 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. While in the English-speaking world (except for the U.S.) the leaves and seeds are known as coriander, in American culinary usage the leaves are generally referred to by the Spanish word cilantro.

All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most commonly used in cooking. The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, fresh coriander, Chinese parsley, cilantro (in America, from the Spanish name for the plant).

The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many South Asian foods (such as chutneys and salads), in Chinese dishes, in Mexican cooking, particularly in salsa and my favorite, guacamole. And as a garnish in salads in Russia and other countries. Chopped cilantro leaves are used as a garnish on Indian dishes. Since heat diminishes their flavor, cilantro leaves are often used raw or added to the dish immediately before serving. In Indian and Central Asian recipes, cilantro leaves are used in large amounts and cooked until the flavor diminishes The leaves spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their aroma when dried or frozen.

Cilantro is commonly found both as whole dried seeds and in ground form. Seeds can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly before grinding to enhance and alter the aroma. Ground cilantro seed loses flavor quickly in storage and is best ground fresh.

Health Effects and Medicinal Uses

Cilantro, like many spices, contains antioxidants, which can aid our immune systems in the fight against disease. A study found both the leaves and seed to contain antioxidants, but the leaves were found to have a stronger effect.

Chemicals derived from cilantro leaves were found to have antibacterial properties.

A number of studies have found that cilantro (coriander) provokes significant excretion of metals in the urine. Subsequently, it has become a popular mainstay of many herbal heavy metal detoxification protocols.

Cilantro has been used for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iran. Experiments in mice support its use as an anti-anxiety remedy.

Cilantro has been documented as a traditional treatment for diabetes. A study on mice found that cilantro extract had both insulin-releasing and insulin-like activity.

Cilantro seeds were found in a study on rats to have a significant effects in lowering of levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides.

Cilantro juice mixed with Turmeric powder (last weeks blog post) is used as a treatment for acne, applied to the face in the manner of toner.

Cilantro seeds can be boiled with water and drank as a medicine for colds.

And finally, cilantro seeds are used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian wheat beers. The seeds are used with orange peel to add a citrus character.