Coriander - love it or hate it?

Coriander leads an exciting dual life as both a herb and spice, and the need for one will not be satisfied by the other!"

Greg and Lucy Malouf

I'm writing about coriander today because we had a family barbecue at my son's house, and one of the guests could not eat coriander - not a real allergy, but definitely an intolerance. My daughter-in-law, the cook, however, loves it so a couple of the dishes contained coriander. And so the conversation got around to who liked it and who didn't. Because that's the thing with coriander isn't it? The fresh kind anyway. You either love it or loathe it. My other son dislikes it, but I think the rest of us liked it. I myself did not like it much to begin with, but these days I really like it quite a lot. I certainly use it a fair bit. It's not my favourite but I do like it. The enthusiasts talk about fresh lemony flavours and the detractors talk about soap, There's quite a gap between the two, and I don't think there is any other herb that is quite as divisive.

"It carries a wonderful complex blend of seemingly contradictory flavours: sweet and astringent, lemony and sage, earthy yet bright." Mark Diacono, River Cottage A-Z

I came to coriander late in life, as probably most of the English speaking world of my generation did. It was completely unknown in my youth - but then so was basil. And when I first saw it written about it was given its American name of cilantro or Chinese parsley and therefore, not knowing any better I thought they meant continental or flat-leaf parsley and so I used that. I'm rather ashamed to admit this, but really, that's what I thought. Mind you I don't think I am alone in this evolution, though some never get beyond the initial loathing.

"How do you switch from loathing something to loving it so much that it’s almost an addiction?" Yotam Ottolenghi

And he is talking about coriander, to which he is now addicted.

"the word "coriander" derives from the Old French: coriandre, which comes from Latin: coriandrum, in turn from Ancient Greek: κορίαννον, koriannon, derived from Ancient Greek: κόρις, kóris (a bed bug), and was given on account of its foetid, bed bug-like smell" Wikipedia

Mind you as Greg Malouf points out, who these days would know what a bed bug smelt like? Stinkweed is another derogatory name used by some. Apparently when they tested people about 4-14% thought it smelt and tasted soapy. For it does indeed have a not very pleasant smell - well until you get used to it that is. I certainly used to think the smell was unpleasant. I don't think I have got to the addiction stage like Yotam Ottolenghi, but I am more than happy to use it these days. And it seems there is a scientific explanation for this.

"Cilantro’s aromatic qualities primarily depend on a group of compounds known as aldehydes. One type of aldehyde has been described as being 'fruity' and 'green' and another type as being 'soapy' and 'pungent'. One of the eight genes near the SNP we identified codes for a receptor called OR6A2, which is known to detect aldehydes such as those found in cilantro."

So - if you have those pesky OR6A2 receptors you're likely to taste soap and thus not enjoy this leafy herb" 23andMe Report

And there is even a website for those who hate coriander with a passion called IHateCilantro.com. It has haikus:

"Every Single Time

I taste that disgusting plant

I die more inside."

I looked at some of them and I have to say that the standard was not high. But it does show that there are enough coriander haters in the world for it to be a thing.

It is very ancient - the ancient Egyptians definitely used it, both as a herb and a spice, and it has been found in even more ancient sites in Israel. So it's been around for a very long time. Which is interesting because it's not very easy to grow, at least for the leaves. It tends to bolt. I have tried a few times, but have never been successful in getting any leaves. So I just buy it. Same thing with dill (and rocket too).

Today it is the most popular bought herb in the UK and the third most popular bought herb here in Australia - in both cases well above parsley, which is still my favourite. Here the top herb is basil and then chives. You can get it anywhere, and mostly with the roots attached, because, as you probably all know, the roots are also sometimes used in making things like Thai curry pastes.

It is used a lot - I mean a lot. Open any cooking magazine or cook book and sooner or later you will come to something that uses fresh coriander, whether as a garnish, or a vital component in the flavouring of the dish, be it Middle Eastern, North African, Mexican, Spanish, Indian or Asian - or even these days, mod Oz.

"Used on its own, coriander adds a tantalising flavour to many dishes, but when combined with other ingredients such as garlic, lemon juice and chilli it really comes into its own, adding vibrant, zingy flavours which fairly dance across the taste buds." Greg and Lucy Malouf

Then there's the seeds.

They are a vital component of virtually every kind of curry paste there is. And it is the seeds that I came to know first, as I tentatively started making 'real' curries. I'm not sure where I bought the seeds, but it must have been somewhere reasonably authentic because I remember finding one batch which I had emptied into a jar crawling with tiny bugs. It has made me very cautious about coriander seeds ever since, but I must admit it has never happened again. Anyway along with cumin they are an absolutely basic requirement for almost everything Indian and South-East Asian and lots of Middle Eastern dishes, although there is perhaps a greater tendency to use both in the Middle Eastern and South-East Asian dishes. I buy the seeds in large quantities and they get used frequently.

In fact coriander might well be the marker showing the evolution of taste in the western world, from world war two rationing to now when just about anything goes. And yes it might look a bit like parsley but it's very definitely not the same at all.