Coriander...or is it Cilantro?

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Coriander and Cilantro are two different things, right? ...Wrong!!!

It is amazing that although we in the UK and the USA allegedly speak the same language, there are a great many discrepancies both in the spelling of certain words and sometimes even in the specific words employed to convey a certain meaning. Consequently, confusion can often reign supreme!

We have here stumbled upon just one such example with coriander and cilantro...

Contents 

A summary of what you can expect to find on this site

It is possible to click on any of the links below to go straight to the relevant sub-section but I very much hope that you will instead use the preferred option of browsing the site in full.

We say, Coriander...you say, Cilantro! 

Ok, so it doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "to-mah-to and to-may-to..."

The Latin name for the herb to which we refer is Coriandrum sativum, from which, it can easily be seen where the word "coriander" is ultimately derived. The word "cilantro" is from the Spanish translation.

In the United Kingdom, we would refer to the leaves and stalks of the plant as "coriander" and to the seeds as "coriander seeds": the word "cilantro" does not exist. In the United States, I now know that the leaves and stalks of the plant are referred to as "cilantro," while the seeds are referred to as "coriander."

In India, where the herb is extremely popular in cooking, it is referred to as "dhania" (just to further confuse the issue!)

Confused? 

Be careful the next time you follow a recipe!

I must admit that the first time I came across the word "cilantro" was only a couple of years back while watching an American programme on the UKTV Food channel. I recall thinking that it looked vaguely like coriander but thought it must be some "cousin" of same, perhaps indigent to the United States. Fortunately, I did have access to Google by that time!

I am certain, however, that on both sides of the Atlantic, there must be people - particularly of more senior years - opening cookery books (cookbooks?), written on the opposite side of "The Pond," and scratching their heads in wonder. Britons may wonder what on earth "cilantro" is, while Americans are sure to concern themselves with why "coriander" looks so strange in the photograph accompanying the text!

It is my sincere hope that, whatever else I may or may not achieve on this page, I will at least go some way to clearing up this mystery.

Coriander...Cilantro...Or By Any Other Name 

A look at some great ideas for incorporating this delicious herb into our cooking

Here is a very affordable guide to all that we could ever wish to know about this tasty and versatile herb. Click on the link for more information or to purchase.

Cilantro Secrets (Cook West)

Amazon Price: $11.57 (as of 12/18/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $12.95

When do I use Coriander? 

Perhaps a lot more frequently than people may think!

The links below are to sites which all feature at least one recipe containing this delicious herb.

Learn More About Gordon Hamilton, the Creator of this Site 

Visit his home page, linked to below

Coriander/Cilantro Recipe Blog Posts from Google 

What recipe ideas are others around the Web coming up with?

In Season Now: Kale, cauliflower and cilantro | Bakersfield Express
Whisk eggs with a tablespoon of half and half, then add to the vegetable mixture and cook. We have this for dinner pretty frequently. For kale soup, I used this recipe, which includes acorn squash and cannellini beans. Cilantro pesto ...
Tasty Touch: Cilantro Lime Rice & a T&T (Nags' Marie Biscuit Logs)
I should also admit that there could be a small element of bias due to my liking for Meryl Streep.She is a natural particularly in comedy. On to the recipe: 2 bunches of Cilantro, stalks removed and washed clean 1 small onion , chopped ...
Rice with clams and cilantro butter food recipe - Rice with clams ...
-Judi M. Phelps; 2 lb Littleneck clams or; Other small clams; 1?2 c Dry white wine; 1 T Oil; 1 T Unsalted butter; 1 med Onion, chopped; 1 c long-grain white rice; 1 1?2 c water; 1?2 t Salt; 1?4 t Finely ground pepper; CILANTRO BUTTER ...
Cilantro Rice Bowl Recipe
(Just follow the link above to the recipe). Chuck and I enjoyed a glass of wine and went to sleep. It was a good way to end the day. I stayed totally on plan but the rest of the food was pretty boring and seems to be a repeat of other ...

 

Coriander and Cilantro In More Detail 

A look at the herb and its origins and uses

Coriander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Discrepancies in the name fully explained and uses for this versatile herb examined.

Did you know about the Coriander/Cilantro discrepancy? 

Have you perhaps ever been confused by inconsistent references to the two?

Stumble It!

Thank you for your visit to this site and your time spent looking through it. I very much hope that you can spare just another few moments to give me your overall impressions in the space below.

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  • Reply
    Beth Partin Beth Partin Jun 25, 2009 @ 5:50 pm
    I used to be confused by that, but not anymore. Of course, when I go to a pho restaurant, the "coriander/cilantro" looks completely different!
  • Reply
    Beth Partin Beth Partin Jun 25, 2009 @ 5:49 pm
    I used to be confused by that, but not anymore. Of course, when I go to a pho restaurant, the "coriander/cilantro" looks completely different!
  • Reply
    Swisstoons Swisstoons Apr 9, 2009 @ 10:14 am
    Ground corriander is a favorite spice; one of the spices that makes Indian cookery the most aromatic on the planet. 5-starring, favoriting and rolling this one to laftovers.
  • Reply
    Mortira Mortira Jan 25, 2009 @ 11:41 pm
    I've always said cilantro for the leaves, and coriander for the seeds. I was pretty sure that was the right way, but it gets confusing when you hear people say coriander, and they're referring to the herb. Now I know why!

    It's funny how different things can be between the US and the UK. A friend in India once told me that if you're going the the US you should remember: "Biscuits = Cookies, and unless you bring your own Tea = Yuck"
  • Reply
    EverythingMouse EverythingMouse Sep 17, 2008 @ 1:20 am
    When I first moved to the US it took me months to work out what the 'other' name for coriander was! Another example of confusion over herbs is the word basil - a problem of how to pronounce it........

by Gordon_Hamilton

My name is Gordon Hamilton and I live in the United Kingdom. As well as writing on Squidoo, I am the Food and Drink Channel Steward on Helium.com. I a...

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