Cilantro

Cilantro

Narda McCarthy  

03/03/2022

HERB BOTANICAL NAMECoriandrum sativum
COMMON NAMESCilantro, coriander, Chinese parsley, cilantro de hoja pequeña, cilantrillo, belendfu, bereshe, aedkoriander; arabische pertersilie, cendro, celandria, coendro, coentro das hortas, wanzenkumme, wanzendill
TYPESLeisure, Longstanding, Calypso, Santo, Cruiser
AYURVEDIC NAMEDhania, dhanyaka
CHINESE NAMEHu Sui Ye, Yuan Sui, Xiang Cai
HINDI NAMEDhaniya, Hara Dhaniya
HOMEOPATIC NAMECoriandrum Sativum, Mother Tincture
NATUREWarm

KINGDOM

Plantae

SUB KINGDOM (phylum)

Embryophyta

TYPE

Herb

FAMILY

Apiacea

CLADE

Angiosperms, asterids, eudicots

TRIBE

n/a

GENUS

Coriandrum

SPECIES

Sativum

CLASS

Magnolipsida

DESCRIPTION

Deliciously aromatic, its stems are straight, smooth, cylindric with leaves at the top and a height that ranges from 12 to 24 inches.

Its Leaves are light, green, feathery and flat. Flowers are beautiful, small, white or sometimes pale pink in flat top clusters pointing away from the center.    

PARTS USED

Leaves, flowers, stems, seeds and roots

LIFE CYCLE

Annual

USES

Food, medicinal, detoxing, antimicrobial, anxiolytic

PREPARATIONS

Garnishes, tea, juice, extracts, tincture, poultice, powder, essential oil, dry leaves, capsules

DOSAGE

n/a

SAFETY

Mostly safe when not over consumed.  Occasional allergies and overdose have been reported.  Do not use during pregnancy or while lactating.   Do not give to infants.

TASTE

Varies.  It could be acidic, soapy, nutty, tangy, earthy

NUTRITIONAL VALUE 

Vitamins A. B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E, K, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc. 

A serving size of one ounce (28g) contains:   0 fat, 6 calories, 0g cholesterol, 1g sodium, 1g protein, 0g sugar, 1g dietary fiber, 0g fat and 13mg sodium

NATIVE REGIONS

Asia, Mediterranean, North Africa

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

Southern Europe, Northern Africa, Southwestern Asia, all Latin America, certain regions in the United States

HABITAT

Preferably temperatures ranging from 50° to 85° F.  Hot weather will cause the plant to produce flowering stems before the leaves can be harvested (bolting).  In this kind of weather, you may expect less leaves and more flowering. 

  

CULTIVATION 

Beds 40 inches wide, symmetrically planted, two lines per bed.  Or 80 inches bed with seedlings covering the top.  Hand weeding is recommended.  Plant in late summer or early spring in loose, well-drained soil in full sun.  Partial shade in warmer climates.  Seeds should be spaced at about 1 to two inches and about ¼ inch deep.

HARVESTING GUIDELINES

Hand harvest the leaves when the stems are around 6 inches tall, using a small sickle knife to cut the leaves just above the soil.  This should happen around three to four weeks after sowing the seeds.  If kept in cool, dry storage, the harvested leaves could have a life of up to 14 days.

CONSTITUENTS

Proteins, carbohydrates, fibers, minerals, vitamins. 

Essential oils, fatty acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, coumarins, linalool, polyphenols, terpenes, coriandrol, petroselinic acid, geranil acetate, y-terpinene

ENERGY

95 kJ – 23 kcal

NOTES AND REFERENCES:

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

FDA

UC Davis

University of Florida

Agricultural University of Georgia

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Photograph at the top by Nadine Primeau @ Unsplash.  Photographs in bottom gallery by in-house photographer.