Coriander Coriandrum sativum, - Dhania, Chinese parsley, Cilantro Coriander is one of the oldest known herbs used by Man. A flavouring and medicine for over 3,000 years, it has been well documented through the ages, from ancient Sanskrit text, to the Ebers Papyrus and even the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament, where its seed was likened to the manna provided by God. Manna is probably the secretion left by a certain type of insect on twigs of tamarisk which is still gathered today by the Bedouin. It is gathered early, before ants can get to it and it is said that one man can collect at least 4lb each morning. The same substance is also found in Persia where it is mixed with honey and flour and made into cakes. Coriander’s Latin, and hence European, name is derived from the Greek word, koris, meaning bug, as the plant was perceived to posses an insect-like smell, reminiscent of that given off by bed bugs. The plant is a member of the Umbelliferae family, hailing originally from North Africa, and was brought into Western Europe by the taste-loving Ancient Romans. Despite its supposed ‘nasty’ smell, the herb’s leaf has been used extensively in Mediterranean, Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking since the earliest times. It was extremely popular during Elizabethan times, especially in sallets, and is now currently enjoying a revival, thinly disguised as ‘discovery’, primarily with the current interest in the ‘Mediterranean Diet’, seen to be a powerful weapon in the modern quest for the ‘perfect diet’. The small round, light brown seeds, sweet and spicy, with a hint of citron, are a feature of North African, Indian and Indonesian cooking. In Europe, they have traditionally been used to flavour breads, cakes and liqueurs, and, of course, are an indispensable pickling spice at harvest-time. In large quantities, coriander leaf has a slightly narcotic effect and it was this that earned it the early European tag of ‘dizzycorn’, after observing its effects on grazing animals that had strayed into patches of the herb. Perhaps this same attribute went some way in endowing the plant with aphrodisiac qualities. It was regularly used in love potions in the Middle Ages and is mentioned in the 1001 Arabian Nights as a ‘love herb’. In European love potions, it was mixed with dill and were said to fill whoever drank it with desire, especially if the coriander had been picked in the last quarter of the moon. The seeds were also burned in incense, put into sweet dishes and carried in ‘love sachets’. The Ancient Chinese believed that eating coriander brought immortality In 17th century Paris an amazing ‘cure-all’ liqueur was produced using coriander - Eau de canes, which was used both as a tonic and as a perfumed toilet water. In folklore and country witchcraft, its astrological ruler is Mars, and it has been used in ‘magical’ rites for healing and love. In herbal healing, its powers in aiding the digestion, when used internally, have long been recognised, easing colic and flatulence and it was once used in proprietary brands of infant colic water. Its inner cleansing powers don’t stop there, though, as both seeds and leaves are used both to strengthen the urinary tract and help in the treatment of urinary tract infections. Externally, the essential oil of the coriander seed is used in therapeutic massage to ease rheumatism and swollen joints. Nutritionally, 1 teaspoonful of coriander seed is equal to1.8g in weight, releases 5kcalories of energy and contains vitamins B1 and B2, niacin, sodium, phosphorous, calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc. As with most of the so-called ‘curry spices’, coriander is quite a good anti-oxidant, in both seed and leaf form, able to help in countering high blood pressure, aiding in the regulation of heart action and body fluid levels, as well as in combating the formation of the free radicals which are believed to trigger cancers.