Coriander
is an important spice crop having a prime position in flavouring food. The
plant is a thin stemmed, small, bushy herb, 25 to 50 cm in height with many
branches and umbels. Leaves are alternate, compound. The whole plant has a
pleasant aroma. Inflorescence is a compound umbel comprises 5 smaller umbels.
Fruit is globular, 3 to 4 mm diameter, when pressed break into two locules each
having one seed. Fruit has delicate fragrance; seeds are pale white to light
brown in colour.
There
are two distinct morphological types, one erect and tall with a comparatively
stronger main shoot and the other bushy with a relatively weaker main shoot and
longer spreading branches.
It
is a native of Mediterranean and commercially produced in India, Morocco,
Russia, East European countries, France, Central America, Mexico, and USA.
Coriander is a tropical crop and can be successfully cultivated as a rabi
season crop in an area free from severe frost during February when the crop
flowers and sets its seeds.
The
young plant is used for flavouring and garnishing curries and soups. The fruits
(seeds) are widely used as condiments with or without roasting in the
preparation of curry powders, sausages and seasonings. It is an important
ingredient in the manufacture of food flavourings, in bakery products, meat
products, soda & syrups, puddings, candy preserves and liquors. In
medicines it is used as a carminative, refrigerant, diuretic, and aphrodisiac.
In household medicines, it is used against seasonal fever, stomach disorders,
and nausea. Coriander oil and oleoresins are primarily used in seasonings for
sausages and other meat products.
Spanish
: Cilantro French : Corriandre German : Koriander Swedish : Koriander Arabic :
Kuzhbare Dutch : Koriander Portuguese : Coentro Russian : Koriandr Japanese :
Koendoro Chinese : Hu-sui Hindi : Dhania or Dhanya Bengali : Dhana, Dhania
Gujarati : Kothmiri, Libdhaba Kannada : Kothambri, Kothamiri bija Kashmiri :
Deaniwal, Kothambalari Malayalam : Kothumpalari bija Marathi : Dhana Oriya :
Dhania Punjabi : Dhania Sanskrit : Dhanyaka Tamil : Kothamalli Telugu :
Dhaniyalu