Coriander

Description

Coriander is a hardy annual herbaceous plant growing to little more than half a metre in height, whose individual parts give off a particularly pungent aroma. The aroma of this plant, and of its fresh seeds, is not pleasant, indeed it is repellent: the fresh leaves and seeds give off a stench reminiscent of bedbugs, but as the fruits ripen they change and spread a very warm and pleasant fragrance.

Stem

The rounded, finely grooved stems of coriander are much branched, slender in appearance and light green in colour.

Leaves

The leaves at the base of the clumps are deeply toothed and divided, their taste is similar to that of parsley, but the aroma is pungent; the apical leaves, which have the same aroma, are instead thread-like and resemble those of fennel. The fresh leaves are added to salads or, because of their graceful shape, are used as a garnish.

Flowers

The flowers of coriander, which appear at the beginning of summer, have five white or faintly pink petals, are flat in shape and gathered in umbels.

Exposure

Coriander loves full sun and a warm, sheltered position.

Propagation

Sowing is done in spring in areas with a mild climate, in autumn in colder regions. The soil must be fertile and loose.

Growth

Coriander is a hardy, undemanding plant, which needs no particular care; naturally, if it has been sown too thickly, the seedlings must be thinned out: leaving a gap of about twenty centimetres between one plant and the next. Regular hoeing and, above all, stripping the leaves at the base of the clump as flowering approaches will give excellent results.

Harvesting

The tender leaves can be picked, as needed, from one month after sowing onwards, and are eaten raw in salads or added to soups. The seeds, as in all umbellifers, are gathered by cutting off the umbels before they have fully ripened and laying them out in the sun on a cloth.

Storage

Once thoroughly dried, coriander seeds are stored in an airtight container away from light and moisture.

Properties

IN THE KITCHEN: Coriander is used above all in liqueur-making, where it is an ingredient of Ratafià and Ambrosia. The seeds are used whole to flavour home-made pickles and preserves in brine; while the ground seeds are used to season meat, fish and some cured sausages.

Beauty

Powdered mustard seeds are used as a deodorant for washing the hands after handling onion, bleach, fish or any substance with a strong and not very pleasant smell; they also serve to remove bad smells from crockery. Those with smelly feet can add mustard seeds to their foot bath.

Health

The properties of coriander are similar to those of anise: an infusion of the seeds is digestive and antidiarrhoeal.

Curiosity

It is best not to sow coriander near fennel, because the latter suffers from it; anise, on the contrary, thrives when grown near coriander.