Coriander

Parts Usually Used

Seed, leaves

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Coriander is a small, erect, shining annual plant; the round, finely grooved stem grows 1-2 feet high from a thin, spindle-shaped root. The leaves are pinnately decompound, the lower ones cleft and lobed, the upper finely dissected. From June to August the white to reddish flowers appear flat, compound umbels of 3-5 rays. The brownish, globose seeds have a disagreeable smell until they ripen, when they take on their spicy aroma.

The seeds are hard and egg-shaped, borne in pairs which do not separate.

Where Found

Cultivated for thousands of years and is still grown in North and South America, Europe, and the Mediterranean area. Grows as a weed, especially in eastern and southern areas of the United States. Native to Mediterranean Europe.

Medicinal Properties

Alterative, antispasmodic, appetizer, aromatic, carminative, stomachic, pungent, cordial, diuretic, diaphoretic, diuretic, stimulant

Biochemical Information

Essential oil which consists of a linalol called coriandrol (60-70%), geraniol, borneol and terpenes.

Legends, Myths and Stories

Coriander is one of the basic ingredients in Indian curry, along with turmeric and cumin seed. One of the most ancient herbs still in use today. Coriander is known to have been cultivated in the Egyptian gardens thousands of years before the birth of Christ. The seeds were among the funeral offerings found in Egyptian tombs. It spread early to Western civilizations; the great Greek physician Hippocrates used it in the 5th century BC.

Humans have consumed cilantro for at least 8,000 years. It was even found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen. By the time the herb had reached the Chinese continent, it had acquired a reputation for bestowing immortality and the Chinese herbalists developed several coriander compounds to that end. There are several Old Testament references to coriander as an herb whose fruit is similar to the mysterious food, manna, that God showered upon the Israelites during their desert trek from bondage.

It is said that in parts of South America people are so fond of coriander flavor, the seeds are put into practically all their dishes. Italians use the seed in pizzas, polentas, bologna, ground and spice meat, and sauces. East Indians love the flavor in their curries and certain native dishes. Coriander seeds are used to flavor gin, whiskey, liqueurs, wine and brandies. An 1878 cook book advises roasting coriander seeds for culinary purposes.

” Coriander seeds are like tiny balls, the green seeds have a disagreeable scent, but upon drying they become very fragrant. Its generic name is derived from a Greek work, koris, that means “bug”. The ancient Pliny described coriander as “a very stinkinge herb”.

Uses

Historically, herbalists applied coriander externally for rheumatism and painful joints. It was used to improve the flavor of other medicinal preparations, stimulate the appetite, and serve as a stomach tonic, with traditional practitioners also believing it strengthened the heart. In folk medicine, it was administered for diarrhea, colic, cystitis, indigestion, vomiting, allergies, and hay fever, as well as to counteract the gripping effects of laxatives and expel gas from the bowels.

Topical applications were also recorded for rashes, burns, and sore throats. In earlier eras, coriander held a reputation as an aphrodisiac and was noted in gardening lore as an aphid repellent, while culinarily it served as a flavoring agent in breads and liqueurs.

How Sold

Capsules

Bibliography

, Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 The Herbalist Almanac , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1988, fifth printing, 1994 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr.

A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. , Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973. The Magic of Herbs , by David Conway, published by Jonathan Cape, Thirty Bedford Square, London, England. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes.

, Copyright 1988, published 1992 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants , by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992). The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc.

, 1974 Old Ways Rediscovered , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, published from 1954, print 1988 The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988. Country Home Book of Herbs , Meredith Books, Editorial Dept. RW240, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023, copyright 1994 The Healing Plants , by Mannfried Pahlow, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.

, Hauppauge, NY 11788, 1992