About Coriander/Cilantro

Vital Statistics

Latin name: Coriander sativum

Native to: Southern Europe, Middle and Far East

Also known as: Chinese parsley, culantro, yeun sai, and pak chii

Annual herb; member of the carrot family

Parts used: leaves, stems, roots, seeds

Growing Conditions: in almost any soil, good sun

Physical Descriptions

Height: on average 12"

Leaf: flat, light green, a little like flat-leaf parsley

Flower: in small white, pink or mauve clusters

Taste

The taste of cilantro (the fresh herb) is somewhat strong and a bit overpowering.
The leaves, stems, and root taste fainly of anise, with the root having the most flavor.
Coriander (the dried seed) is vaguely reminiscent of orange peels.

Places Used

Cilantro is heavily favored in the cookings of the Middle East, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and Southeast Asia,
while coriander is used by Northern Europeans to flavor gin and pickles.

Storage

Fresh cilantro is best stored with the top covered in plastic,
with the bottom end placed in a glass full of cold water.
It can stay in the refridgerator for up to a week
with continual removal of wilted leaves and changes of water.
The herb is not used dried, since the taste is not comparable to fresh.
Seeds are stored in airtight containers in a cool, dark place.

Thai Chicken Marinading Paste

Here's a personal recipe for a marinade using cilantro.
This marinade is ideal for chicken,
but it can be used with pork, beef, or other meats.

If you cannot buy fresh cilantro with roots intact, then use the stems.
This recipe is for 1/2 to 1 lb. of meat, make more paste if needed.
Ingredients:
4 or more large cloves of garlic, peeled.
4 or more cilantro roots, rinsed thoroughly and cut small.
1/4 tsp or a little bit more whole white peppercorn
1/2 tsp of ground white pepper will do, no substitution with black.
Thai fish sauce, nam pla
Preparation:
In a mortar place the first three ingredients. Pound well with pestle
until the mixture is of a pasty consistency. Make sure that the whole
peppercorns are broken well to avoid grit.
Add fish sauce, one tablespoon at a time until the marinade is nicely
moist (about 4-5 tablespoons).
Apply to meat and with cook immediately by grilling, pan frying, or
roasting, or let marinade in the refridgerator until needed.
E-mail me with your thoughts and comments on this recipe.

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