Coriander (cilantro)

Coriander is an annual plant belonging to the umbrella family. The origin of the name of the plant is very interesting. Translated from Greek, "coriander" means "bug". And this is not accidental, since in an unripe form the plant has the smell of this insect. The leaves of the plant are called "cilantro" and the seeds are called "coriander."

Plant height ranges from 40 to 70 cm.

The root is shaped like a spindle.

Coriander has a smooth, straight stem that begins to branch towards the top of the head.

The shape of cilantro leaves resemble parsley leaves. Their petioles are long.

Flowers are white or pink. During the flowering period (June-July), umbrellas with 3-5 rays appear on the tops of the plant. Inflorescences form at their ends, and then fruits are small, hard, ribbed balls.

In the southern regions of coriander growth, its fruits are formed in July. August or September are the months when coriander bears fruit in the northern regions.

Cilantro is known in botany as coriander seed. The Latin name is Coriandrum satium.

The East of the Mediterranean is considered the birthplace of coriander. The Romans brought it to the west and to the center of Europe. Since the 15th century, the era of great geographical discoveries has contributed to the expansion of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bits growth and America, New Zealand and Australia learned about coriander.

Currently, coriander is grown almost everywhere.In Russia, the habitat is the southeastern and central regions.

• green cilantro used as a spice fresh, as soon as the plant releases the first leaves.
• Dry raw material can be prepared ahead of time.
• The fruits are used only in dried form. Then they clean it up. Both whole and ground cilantro seeds are used.

The greens of the plant are called cilantro, and the fruits are called coriander. The plant has other names: Chinese parsley, kolyandra (Northern Caucasus), calandra (Belarus), kishnets (old Russian name) sowing, shlendra, hamem, kashnich, chilantro, kishnishi. The Arabs dubbed it a kuzbara, and the Jews - a reptile, the Koreans - sancho, the Hindus - dhaniya.

Ripe seeds of the plant have a unique spicy smell, while the smell of green fruits is, to put it mildly, unpleasant.

Coriander seeds owe their taste and aroma to the essential oil, which is its main component. The taste is spicy, slightly bitter. The aroma is sweet.

The greens are slightly bitter in taste, the aroma is sharp.

Nutritional value and calorie content per 100 grams:

• Saturated fatty acids - 0.014 g
• Monosaccharides and disaccharides - 0.87 g
• Water - 92.21 g
• Ash - 1.47 g
• Dietary fiber - 2.8 g

Cilantro leaves contain 23 calories.

You can learn more information about coriander from the program "1000 and one spice of Scheherazade"

100 grams of the product contains:

• Vitamins: PP - 1.114 mg; K - 0.31 mg; E - 2.5 mg; C - 27 mg; B vitamins - 1.01 mg; A - 0.337 mg; β-carotene - 3.93 mg; Choline (a vitamin that protects body cells) - 12.8 mg.
• Minerals: Selenium - 0.0009 mg; Manganese - 0.426 mg; Copper - 0.225 mg; Zinc - 0.5 mg; Iron - 1.77 mg; Phosphorus - 48 mg; Potassium - 521 mg; Sodium - 46 mg; Magnesium - 26 mg; Calcium - 67 mg.

The beneficial properties of coriander have been known since ancient times. Sorcerers and shamans used it in their magical rites. In our time, of course, this scope has sunk into oblivion, but cilantro is used everywhere in cooking.

The benefits of coriander are due to the presence in its composition of a whole range of useful and nutritious substances that are so necessary for our body:

• Relieves pain caused by spasms.
• Fights germs and infections.
• It is a mild sedative.
• Stops bleeding
• It is a laxative.
• It has a positive effect on the formation of bile in the liver.
• Suppresses the development of malignant neoplasms.
• Remove toxins from the body.

Coriander is a safe plant, but one should not forget about dosages, as abuse leads to negative consequences:

• sleep disturbance;
• in women, the menstrual cycle may be disturbed;
• you can not use more than 4 grams of coriander seeds, and greens - 35 g per day.

Coriander should not be consumed:

• People with impaired circulatory process.
• Patients with thrombophlebitis or thrombosis.
• With diabetes mellitus.
• With high blood pressure.
• Individual intolerance.
• With caution in kidney disease.

Steam distillation is a way to extract coriander essential oil.

Coriander oil is rich in composition with linalool, phellandrene, and terpinene. Fatty oils make up 30%.

The oil has a yellowish color. Its smell is quite strong. The taste is bitter.But as soon as it is diluted, a real metamorphosis of matter occurs. The oil becomes pleasant to the taste, and its aroma resembles a lily of the valley.

The growing conditions of the raw material affect the taste of the oil.

Useful properties of essential oil:

• Stimulates the process of blood circulation.
• When exposed to the skin, it has a warming effect.
• It has antiseptic and hemostatic properties.

• It is added to meat dishes, sausage, cheese.
• Used in canning, added to marinades, pickles, canned food. You can season them with sauerkraut.
• As a flavoring agent, it is added to some types of liquors.
• Coriander is a fragrant additive in confectionery. They flavor not only sweet products, but also some types of bread.
• Salads, first and second courses, barbecue are seasoned with fresh herbs.

Coriander in cuisines around the world:

• Residents of Greece will definitely add coriander to the marinade when canning olives. It is an integral part of meat dishes from pork and lamb meat.
• Inhabitants of the Caribbean Islands mix coriander, hot chili and garlic in their traditional cuisine.
• Indians prepare a mixture called masala based on coriander, Ethiopians - Berber, Tunisians - offak.

Try mashed potatoes with cilantro. A kilogram of potatoes is peeled and cut into 4 pieces. It must be boiled in salt water. While the potatoes are cooking, you need to prepare its dressing from a clove of garlic, a bunch of chopped cilantro leaves and olive oil (you need to take a little). Drain the water from the boiled potatoes, but leave a little so that they can be mashed. Add a pinch of turmeric and prepared dressing, top with remaining oil. It's good to grind.In total, you will need half a glass of olive oil. The desired density can be given with the remaining broth.

• Coriander oil acts like a small heating pad. In this regard, it is prescribed for muscle pain, rheumatoid pain in the joints.
• Infusions from coriander seeds help with digestive system disorders, with bloating and colic, with wounds (they have a healing and analgesic effect).
• Since coriander is able to influence blood clotting, it is used in drugs that stop bleeding.
• Coriander, being a sedative, is simply necessary for stressful and neurosis-like conditions.
• It is used as a means of preventing cancer.
• It has a positive effect on the state of the circulatory system, thereby improving the plasticity of blood vessels.
• Fights scurvy. Makes breathing pleasant.
• Improves eyesight, fights conjunctivitis (washes eyes with infusion).
• It has a positive effect on the human brain and its functioning.
• Heals wounds and cuts. It is enough just to sprinkle the place with ground coriander.

To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ground seeds and 400 ml of boiling water. The mixture is infused for an hour, and then taken half a glass 4 times a day. The infusion is used before meals.

A decoction can be prepared from whole cilantro fruits. You need 10 g of fruit and a glass of water. Everything is boiled for about 5 minutes and infused for an hour. After straining, the decoction is ready for use. It is also consumed before meals in the morning, afternoon and evening, 75 grams each.

To relieve swelling that many people experience in the morning, you should drink tea from fresh coriander leaves. The ratio of raw materials and boiling water is 1:4.Despite having such positive properties, you should still consult a doctor before using coriander.

• All kinds of masks and lotions contain coriander.
• Coriander is a remedy that fights acne and pimples.
• Reduces inflammation and flaking of the skin.
• Has whitening properties.
• Rejuvenates.

At home, coriander can be a great addition to the hair masks you use all the time. Gray hair will not appear prematurely, and the hair structure will be better and stronger. Such masks are useful for oily hair and get rid of dandruff, strengthen hair after dyeing.

You can prepare a tonic composition for rubbing the skin of the face and neck. You will need chopped cilantro leaves (1 tablespoon) and a glass of boiling water. After 20 minutes, the tonic is ready for use. Applied in the morning and evening.

As a means of reducing weight, coriander is unsuitable. It whets the appetite. And even considering that metabolic processes occur faster with its use, you still won’t be able to lose weight.

The first mention of the cultivation of coriander dates back to Ancient Egypt. By the 4th century, they learned about him in China, and the inhabitants of Russia got to know him already in the 19th century in the 30s.

Coriander needs a warm and temperate climate. But, despite this, the plant is frost-resistant.

Favorable conditions for the growth of cilantro: a lot of sun, soil with sufficient moisture. Avoid stagnant water in the area where the coriander is planted. When the plant enters the development phase, it needs to be watered very well. The plant is fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus.

To enjoy cilantro greens throughout the summer season, you can sow the plant several times with an interval of 2-3 weeks. In the Moscow region, harvesting is possible twice during the summer.

The cilantro landed in a row. The gap between plants should be about 10 cm, and the row spacing should be 15-20 cm. The plant will give a lot of dense greenery.

When the seeds ripen, water the cilantro less.

The most popular variety is called Amber. Varieties Alekseevsky and Luch contain a very large amount of fat and linalool. In addition to the above, there are vegetable varieties of coriander.

• Coriander has very interesting properties to block the intoxicating effects of alcoholic beverages.
• Coriander is credited with magical properties that awaken the creative abilities of the individual.
• When cilantro blossoms, beekeepers take their hives to the fields so that the bees make honey of a special quality and aroma.
• Candy is made from the candied seeds.