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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 

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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: $11.01 (as of 01/09/2009) 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.

Coriander/Cilantro Recipe Blog Posts from Google 

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

Grilled Vegetable Burrito
Return filled tortillas to hot grill rack. Grill for 1 minute; turn and grill for 1 to 2 minutes more or until tortillas are lightly browned. Serve with tomato, and the Cilantro recipe below. Cilantro Pesto Recipe Ingredients ...
The Perfect Pantry: Nopalitos, a Pantry Special (Recipe: cactus salad)
Adapted from a recipe on Gourmetsleuth.com, this recipe serves 4 as a vegetarian main course. 3 cups nopalitos 1 tsp canola or vegetable oil 3 Tbsp chopped sweet onion 3/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano ...
Bite-Sized Finger Foods: Tapas Recipes From Morocco and Greece
... 8 large pitted green olives (or red Moroccan olives or Greek olives); 8 bay leaves; 2 preserved lemon rinds,(one oz) thinly sliced (directions for preserved lemon rinds will follow this recipe); 2 Tblsp chopped fresh cilantro ...
Giant Chipotle White Beans Recipe - 101 Cookbooks
I love his original recipe, but the last time through I decided to add a few of my own twists. I did a subtly smoky chipotle-version of the tomato sauce, a cilantro drizzle, kale, whole grain bread crumbs, and queso fresco cheese ...

Coriander and Cilantro Recipes in Pictures 

Click on any of the images to expand it to its full size

Coriander Tomato Soup by sonicwalker

Coriander and Tomato Soup

Carrot & cumin soup, with fresh coriander by Vic

Carrot, Cumin and Coriander Soup

Laksa + Recipe by Food Trails

Laksa

Tom Yum Kung + Recipe by Food Trails

Tom Yum Kung (Thai)

Pan Fried Salmon with Coriander and Pomegranate Seed dress with chilli and pomegranate mollases by Girl Interrupted Eating

Pan Fried Salmon with Coriander and Pomegranate

Squid with coriander and lime by Girl Interrupted Eating

Squid with Coriander and Lime

Beetroot, Tomato & Coriander Salad by mellowfood

Beetroot, Tomato and Coriander Salad

SouthWest Chicken Pasta Salad by Tara Anderson

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad

day 89: vietnamese chicken meatballs in lettuce wraps by baostar

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs

Gai Yang with Nam Jeem by mochiland

Gai Yang with Nam Jeem

Cuban-Spiced Chicken with Saffron Rice by Sashertootie

Cuban Spiced Chicken with Saffron Rice

Homemade Thai Fried Rice by girlzone41

Thai Fried Rice

Asian Salmon Burgers with Miso Sesame Sauce by Sashertootie

Asian Salmon Burgers

Grilled flank steak with cilantro mint dressing by Sashertootie

Steak with Cilantro and Mint Dressing

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.

EverythingMouse wrote...

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........

ReplyPosted September 17, 2008

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