Organic Coriander Seed

Description

Coriander Seed, Coriandrum sativum, is one of three plants that produces both an herb and a spice. The other two being dill (producing dill seed and dill weed) and fenugreek (with fenugreek seeds and fenugreek leaves). The fruit of the coriander plant is known as coriander seed, while the herb is known as cilantro and comes from the plant’s leaves. An individual coriander plant can only be cultivated for one of these, as the “cilantro” leaves must be picked before the plant matures to produce the seeds. The name Coriander is derived from the Greek word “koris”, which means bug and this probably stems from the offensive "buggy" smell that the seed has when unripe.
 
There are two types of Coriander seeds commonly found in the marketplace - Moroccan and Indian. Moroccan Coriander Seeds (also known as European Coriander) are usually grown in Morocco or Canada, and are the more common of the two. Moroccan Coriander seeds are round and light brown in color. Indian Coriander Seeds are more oval shaped and yellow in color with a slightly different flavor profile.

History and Cultivation

Native to Asia Minor (roughly modern day Turkey) and the Mediterranean region, Coriander grows easily, and today it can be found growing wild in Africa, Egypt and England.

Coriander has been around for thousands of years, and the oldest archaeological find of coriander was discovered in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B level of the Nahal Hemar Cave in Israel, which dates back to 7,600-6,000 BC. Coriander seeds were also recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun (aka King Tut). Because coriander is not native to Egypt, food historians believe this shows that the ancient Egyptians cultivated this plant.

The ancient Romans used coriander to preserve meats and flavor breads. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, used coriander for its medicinal properties, including as an aromatic stimulant.

The British brought coriander to the American colonies in 1670, and it became one of the first spices cultivated by early settlers.

The fruit of the coriander plant contains two seeds which, when dried, are the parts that are used as the dried spice.

In Morocco coriander is most often grown by small farmers on small plots as the larger farming conglomerates don’t feel that they can generate sufficient profits from crops that product such small yields.

Coriander is planted between January and March (depending on that year’s weather patterns) and is generally harvested between the end of May and the beginning of June. Some farms have occasionally had some success in getting two coriander plantings out of a particular growing season but this is not a common practice. Most Moroccan coriander is harvested early in the morning; as the seeds tend to retain a bit more moisture when harvested at that time of the day. This has proven beneficial, as it reduces the amounts of splits that occurs when the seed is harvested, when it is too dry.

European Coriander’s quantity and yields are both greater than Moroccan grown coriander. But, the quality of the Moroccan coriander is greater, as they only lose approximately 15% of their yield, while European coriander loses almost 40% of their crop.

Moroccan or European Coriander is commercially harvested in India, Canada, Morocco and the US.

Our Organic Coriander Seed is cultivated in India.

How to Use

Coriander has a mild flavor, so cooks tend to use it in larger amounts than other spices. In Europe and the US, Coriander Seed is often used in pickling. In England, it is a key ingredient in Cake Spice which is used most frequently with fall fruits, especially apples, pears and plums and is baked into pies or stewed in compotes (fruit preserved or cooked in syrup with spices). In India, it is added to masalas. In the Middle East, it is found in the spice blend Baharat and is often added to sausages, stews and vegetable dishes. In North Africa, it is found in the spice blends Harissa, Ras el Hanout and Tabil.

Coriander is good with apples, chicken, chili, citrus fruits, fish, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, soups and stews.

Coriander works well in combination with allspice, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, garlic and ginger.

Some of our favorite recipes with using Coriander are Chicken Enchilada Soup, Corn and Summer Vegetable Sautee, Chicken Fennel and Pepper Pizza and Punjabi Chicken with Tomatoes & Spinach.

Flavor Profile

Moroccan Coriander is mellow, sweet and warm with hints of orange.

Indian Coriander has a stronger flavor profile with more noticeable citrus notes and hints of nuttiness. Indian Coriander is a favorite spice of our micro brewer customers in making their Belgian wheat beers where it is used with orange peel to enhance the citrus character in the beer.

Health Benefits

In the US, coriander has recently been studied for its cholesterol lowering effects.

Helpful Hints

We also carry a freshly ground organic coriander that we grind in small batches in our facility several times a week for optimum flavor.

** This product is certified kosher.

Related Blog Posts

All About Curry Powders
Most Popular Spices by Cuisine
The Authentic Indian Spice Guide