Cilantro, Coriandrum sativum, is a member of the Umbelliferae family (carrot family) and is pronounced as "see laan tro". Cilantro comes from Coriander plant and is one of only 4 plants that produces two spices, the others being dill (dill seed and dill weed), fenugreek (fenugreek seeds and fenugreek leaves) and fennel (fennel seeds and fennel pollen). Cilantro is the leaves while Coriander is the fruit of the plant (most often referred to as seeds).

Cilantro is one of those spices and herbs that is either a "love it" or "hate it". If you love it you find it to be a fragrant mix of citrus and parsley and Cilantro is a key herb in Mexican, Caribbean and Asian cuisines. Julia Child, the renowned American chef, author and television personality, was firmly in the camp of "I hate it" (she also was not fond of arugula) and said so in a 2002 CNN interview with Larry King. King asked her what she would do if she found it on a dish that she ordered at a restaurant -- would she eat it? And as only Child could say “Never, I would pick it out if I saw it and throw it on the floor.”

The taste of the fresh Cilantro is due to an essential oil (0.1% - 0.2%) that is predominantly made up of aliphatic aldehydes.

Cilantro is called kuzbara warak (Arabic), yuen sui (Mandarin), persil arabe (French), Indische Petersilie (German), hara dhania (Hindi), koendoro (Japanese), kinza (Russian) and cilantro (Spanish).

Cilantro is also known as coriander leaf, cilantrillo, Mexican parsley and Chinese parsley.

History of Cilantro

Cilantro is the Spanish word for coriander and is derived from Medieval Latin “celiandrum”, an alteration of Latin “coriandrum”.

Native to the region that is modern day Greece, cilantro has been used as a culinary herb since at least 5,000 BC. It’s mentioned in Sanskrit text and the Bible. Cilantro was introduced into Mexico and Peru by the Spanish conquistadors where it now commonly partnered with the various chiles found in the local cuisine. Cilantro has also become a fixture in the Western and the Southwestern regions of the US.

The herb was one of the first (along with dandelions) to be brought to the Americas from Europe. Cilantro was grown in many places, including the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the mid-1600s.

The anthropologist Helen Leach, from the University of Otago in New Zealand, has extensively researched food, eating, cooking, associated equipment and paraphernalia. Her initial training was in archaeology and her interests range from prehistoric horticulture and the evolution of human diet to the history of cooking and the origins of recipes. She has been somewhat fascinated with cilantro and the strong opinions people have towards it. She was mostly interested to see if it had always been despised or if there was something more to it. She finds that in English garden books and French farming books from the beginning of the 17th century there seemed to be a pretty dramatic shift in attitude about cilantro. During this time period in Europe medieval dishes (of which cilantro was quite commonly found in) were falling out of favor as the more sophisticated Europeans were looking for new flavors and looked down on older flavors.

Cilantro Cultivation

A fast growing annual, Cilantro reaches a height of 12 - 36”. The entire plant including the leaves, seeds and roots are all edible. While the same plant produces both the seed and the leaves it can only be grown for one or the other as once the leaves are picked the plant can’t bear fruit. As the leaves get larger and older they develop a stronger flavor.

Typically planted in early May in temperate regions, Cilantro thrives in full sun, the soil should be kept moist but well drained and the plant does best with even temperatures over a 90 to 100 day period. Some leaves may be harvested in just a few weeks, but the plant doesn’t bloom until July and the coriander fruits do not mature until early August. Heavy rain or wind can cause significant damage to both the cilantro leaves and the coriander seeds.

The Coriander plant grows wild in Southeast Europe and is also commercially harvested in China, Egypt, India and the US.

Depending on the time of the year our Cilantro is cultivated in either the US or Mexico.

Cooking with Cilantro

Discerning cooks prefer to use fresh cilantro but often your recipe only calls for just a little bit and of course the grocery stores won’t sell you “just a pinch”. Keeping some dried cilantro on hand for emergencies (or when your store bought cilantro goes bad way too fast) is not a bad idea.

Cilantro is used both to add flavor and color to a dish especially in the cuisines of North Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, India, Mexico, the Middle East and the US (mostly in Tex-Mex).

In Egypt it is added to bissara (a bean puree). In India cilantro is sauteed with mint and added to chutneys or used as a garnish (like we use parsley in this country) for dips or snacks (especially bhel puris). In North India it is a key ingredient in the seasoning blend Chat Masala. In Malaysia, Cilantro is often blended with green chiles, spearmint and other spices to make kormas that are paired with bread or rice. In Morocco, it’s added to tagines, soups (harira) and snacks (including bisteeya and falafel). In Thai cuisine Cilantro’s herbaceous character is used as commonly as Thai Basil, Kaffir Lime Leaves and Lemongrass and any or all of these may be used to create curry pastes so prevalent to the region. Like Parsley, Cilantro is often sprinkled on the top of cooked dishes, curries, sauces, soups and stews.

We like cilantro best in Mexican dishes -- add it to bean dips, salsas, soups or mix it in with low fat sour cream and use it as a topping for burritos, chili, enchiladas or tacos.

Cilantro works well in combination with avocado, bell peppers, chicken, corn, couscous, fish, ice cream (yes ice cream), lamb, mayo, nuts, pork, rice, shellfish, sour cream, tomatoes, tortillas and yogurt.

Cilantro pairs well with chile peppers, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, lemons, limes and onions.

Some of our favorite recipes using dried cilantro are Vegetarian Refried Bean Pizza, Slow Cooker Borracho Beans, 3 Bean Chili and Vegetarian Chimichanga.

Dried vs Fresh Cilantro

Some herbs are better dried and others are better fresh. Herbs that are better dried than fresh include oregano, rosemary and thyme. Other herbs when dried lose some or most of their flavor -- especially basil, cilantro, curry leaves, dill weed, lemongrass and tarragon. These herbs are more commonly used fresh.

What Does Cilantro Taste Like

To those that love Cilantro it has a refreshing, anise-like, piney flavor with hints of lemon, mint and pepper.

To those that hate Cilantro the flavor comes across as bitter or soapy which is how their taste buds process Cilantro’s essential oils.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cilantro

How much dried cilantro to use in place of fresh?
If you do need to use dried cilantro in place of fresh a good general rule of thumb is 1:2. 2 tablespoons of dried cilantro for every 1/4 cup (which equals 4 tablespoons) fresh cilantro.

Is Cilantro and Culantro the same thing?
No. Long Coriander, Eryngium foetidum, from the Apiacea family (parsley family) is a different species from regular Coriander and it’s called “culantro” or “recao” by Latin Americans. Commonly used by Central and South Americans, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans as a garnish in fillings, cooked salsas, ceviche, soups and taco fillings. In Southeast Asia Culantro is added to curries, noodles and soups.

The appearance of culantro and cilantro do not look alike but their aromas are very similar (with culantro being a bit more pungent). Because of the similar aroma they are used interchangeably in many different cuisines – especially in the Caribbean, the Far East, Latin America and Mexico.

** This product is certified kosher.

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