coriander

Q: What is another name for coriander?

Coriander, a feathery annual plant of the parsley family , is also known by the name cilantro . The name coriander is usually used to refer to the dry fruits and seeds. The plant’s delicate young leaves are known as cilantro .

Q: How is coriander used?

Coriander is used to flavor many foods, particularly sausages , curries , Scandinavian pastries, liqueurs , and confectionery. The young leaves are used in Latin American , Indian , and Chinese dishes. Records of the use of coriander date to 5000 bce.

Q: How big does coriander grow?

The coriander plant produces a slender hollow stem measuring 30 to 60 mm (1 to 2.5 inches) high with fragrant bipinnate leaves . The nearly globular fruit measures about 5 mm (0.2 inch) in diameter.

herb and spice

Also known as: Chinese parsley, Coriandrum sativum, cilantro

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Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 19, 2025 •History

What is another name for coriander?

How is coriander used?

How big does coriander grow?

coriander, (Coriandrum sativum), feathery annual plant of the parsley family (Apiaceae), parts of which are used as both an herb and a spice. Native to the Mediterranean and Middle East regions, the plant is widely cultivated in many places worldwide for its culinary uses. Its dry fruits and seeds, which are also known as coriander, are used to flavor many foods, particularly sausages, curries, Scandinavian pastries, liqueurs, and confectionery, such as English comfits. Its delicate young leaves, known as cilantro, are widely used in Latin American, Indian, and Chinese dishes. (See also Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?)

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Angiosperm
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Coriandrum

Physical description

The plant produces a slender hollow stem 30 to 60 mm (1 to 2.5 inches) high with fragrant bipinnate leaves. The small flowers are pink or whitish and are borne in umbel clusters. The fruit is a small dry schizocarp consisting of two semiglobular fruits joined on the commisural, or inner, sides, giving the appearance of a single, smooth, nearly globular fruit about 5 mm (0.2 inch) in diameter. The yellowish brown fruits have a mild fragrance and taste similar to a combination of lemon peel and sage. The seeds contain from 0.1 to 1 percent essential oil; its principal component is coriandrol.

Also called:: cilantro or Chinese parsley

Related Topics:: spice and herb; harissa; Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?; herb

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History of use

Records of the use of coriander date to 5000 bce. The Romans used it to flavor bread. It was once used as an aromatic and carminative, but its only modern use in medicine is to mask unpleasant tastes and odors of drugs.