INTERNATIONAL: HERBS AND SPICES 1: CILANTRO AND CORIANDER

Learned something.  Cilantro and Coriander are all of the same plant.  First found in King Tut's time they were cultivated by the ancient Egyptians. (information from Wiki)

• The leaves of the Coriander plant are called Cilantro or Chinese parsley or fresh coriander. The leaves have a different taste from the seeds, with citrus overtones. 
• The stems of the plant have a different flavor than the leaves. Also a citrusy flavor and sweeter than the leaves. 
• The roots of the plant have a different flavor than the leaves and stems. Coriander roots have a deeper, more intense flavour than the leaves. They are used in a variety of Asian cuisines. They are commonly used in Thai dishes, including soups and curry pastes.
• The seeds of the plant (not all coriander plants have seeds - see photo below) have a different flavor from the three above and are called coriander seeds or dhania.  The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed. It is described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured.

• RECIPE LINKS BELOW PHOTOS:

   

About cilantro and coriander and recipes:

LINK to Recipes

NOTE:  What got me interested in this was when I watched a Cooking Channel Show on cooking with cilantro/coriander.  Here is the link for the recipes on the show.

LINK to Other Recipes

What is cilantro pesto??  See the recipe below. 

LINK to Cilantro Pesto Recipe

CILANTRO PESTO LINKS

ANOTHER LINK to Cilantro Pesto Recipe

A THIRD LINK to Cilantro Pesto

There are lots and lots of recipes that use cilantro and coriander.  Just do a google search.