Cilantro is an herb commonly found in Mexican dishes and sauces and is sometimes referred to as Mexican parsley. It’s actually related to the spice known as coriander, which is the ground seed of the lush coriander plant. The botanical name for coriander is Coriandrum sativum .
Fresh coriander has a pungent odor – it is one of those herbs that people love or dislike intensely.
Is coriander bad for you?
Like most things we eat, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Eating too much cilantro at one time can upset your stomach and cause temporary and sometimes permanent damage to other organs. Too much coriander can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.
Keep in mind that the amounts of coriander that would be harmful are far greater than what you would find in a hot sauce (although that can cause intestinal problems, too).
In general, when ingested in appropriate amounts, coriander is said to be a fairly healthy herb. The leaves are rich in antioxidants that can lower levels of “bad” cholesterol, contain essential oils and are a source of minerals such as iron and potassium and vitamins such as vitamin A and folic acid.
How to handle coriander
Because many in the Southwest adore Mexican food, cilantro can usually be found fresh at local grocery stores. When buying coriander, make sure the leaves are very green and fresh and have a strong aroma. When you bring the coriander leaves home, wash them well and discard the wilted leaves. Coriander is best when used as early as possible, while the aroma and flavor are the strongest. If you’re not using all of it, put the remaining leaves in a jar of water like a bouquet.
Cover the leaves with a plastic bag and place the jar in the refrigerator.
You can grow your own coriander
Coriander is relatively easy to grow in the desert, as it thrives in hot climates and loves the morning sun. In Phoenix, you can grow coriander in the garden or in pots, from seed or seedlings in the fall and winter. Every local nursery or home improvement store that sells herb seeds and plants will have them. Don’t you have a garden? You can grow coriander indoors! It is easy to store, even frozen.
