Cilantro’s Edgy Power
When I was a child, my mother chopped cilantro leaves right before adding them to a hot dish of daal or sprinkled a handful of piney-scented leaves over a simmering curry before she served it. The snappish, bright aroma wafted on waves of steam and set our mouths watering. My father, the grilling man, blended cilantro leaves and stems, onions, tomatoes, chili peppers, salt and sugar to create a savory, sweet and piquant chutney for the lamb tikkas central to our ritual summer barbecues.
So I love cilantro. But I have come across plenty of people who don’t. “Soapy,” says my sister-in-law, who has a strong aversion. She’s not far off. The cilantro aroma is apparently made up of aldehydes that are also similar to constituents found in soap. Genetics may cause some to find cilantro objectionable. Jay Gottfried, a neuroscientist at Northwestern and a former cilantrophobe, told the New York Times’ Harold McGee that our smell and taste senses evolved to evoke strong emotions. Our senses were critical to finding palatable foods, appropriate mates, avoiding poisons and predators, and ultimately for surviving.
The leaves, stems, seeds and roots add not only a unique and robust flavor to any dish but also provide valuable plant chemicals to protect and heal.
Origins
Botanists speculate that coriander’s origins—Coriandrum sativum, a member of the parsley family—lie in the Eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor. The leaf (called cilantro) and seed (called coriander), taste quite different, though neither are subtle in flavor.
Culinary homes
Today, culinary cultures beyond the Mediterranean employ this love-it-or-hate-it spice. South Asians roast and grind the warm, lemony seeds with a number of other fresh and dried spices. McGee explains in his book “On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen,” that when coriander seeds are ground, the brittle and fibrous husks make a good water absorber and thickener for sauces (think of the liquid portion of a curry sauce).
Thais use the entire coriander plant says David Thompson, author of “Thai Food” and the first chef to gain a Michelin star for a Thai restaurant in Europe. The leaves are added to salads and soups, the stems are simmered in stocks, and the roots are a common ingredient in sauces and curry pastes. The coriander root, adds Thompson, counters any strong or earthy tastes such as shrimp paste or freshwater fish. It can also mellow or counter raw garlic. He advises scraping the roots to remove the skin, and then soaking in water to dislodge any soil residues before pounding. Meanwhile in Latin America, Mexicans cut the leaves and mix them into guacamole or chilli piquin.
Healing traditions
Cooks and healers have roasted and ground striated, husk-covered coriander seeds or steeped the leaves to make healing potions for a few thousand years.
According to Ayurvedic classifications, cilantro is bitter and astringent and is considered cooling and cleansing. It can effectively help balance the three dominant constitutions (vata, pitta, kapha) and is particularly beneficial for balancing pitta and kapha. Cilantro improves digestion and helps strengthen liver function. In Chinese medicine, cilantro is classified as warming although the Chinese cook with it to counteract the heating effects of strongly spiced foods.
Research
Human clinical research studies on the effects of cilantro are few. But many in vitro and some in vivo studies exist on water and oil extracts FROM ITS?: leaves, stems AND?, seeds. It is well documented that extracts possess antioxidant properties. This year, the journal ofPlant Foods for Human Nutrition noted that cilantro is a rich source of antioxidants, specifically the carotenoids. Also this year the journal of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry indicated the potential of coriander oil as a natural antimicrobial compound against C. jejuni in food—a pathogen that causes food borne diseases worldwide. Another 2010 study in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture reported that alcoholic extracts of coriander leaves and stems showed strong anti-inflammatory activity in an in vitro model. Finally, in a review of the available animal and clinical trials where spices and their extracts were examined, The International Journal on Food, Science, and Nutrition reported that a limited number of studies noted cilantro as potentially hypoglycemic.
Cultivation
Coriander is a cool weather annual plant. According to Organic Gardening, the plant thrives in a sunny area with well-drained soil. The seeds should be sowed directly in the garden about ½-inch deep after the danger of the first frost has passed. After the seedlings appear, thin the plants every 4 inches. Pick the leaves/stems as needed.
Because the seeds ripen and scatter quickly, cut the plant as soon as the leaves and flowers turn brown. Tie it in bundles and hang upside down with a paper bag tied around the flower heads to catch the seeds as they dry and fall.
In the warmer climates or in the peak of the summer heat, coriander bolts (goes to seed) quickly. The strong cilantro leaves and stems diminish in taste and can turn bitter as it produces flower and then seeds. To maintain a steady supply throughout the season, you can plant successive waves of cilantro, weekly or bimonthly.
Khurshid’s Cilantro Chutney with tamarind and pomegranate (Cilantro leaves and stems)
Serve as a condiment with grilled meats (chicken, beef, or lamb) or over pasta for a cool summer meal.
Yields 1-1 ½ cups
Ingredients
1-2 medium firm tomatoes cut in quarters
½ small Vidalia or yellow onion
1 tablespoon concentrated tamarind paste (available in a South Asian market or you can substitute 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic must or concentrated cherry juice)
1-2 tablespoons dried pomegranate seeds (optional)
2 fresh small green chilies (more or less depending on how much spice you want)
1 bunch fresh cilantro
½-3 teaspoon sugar to taste
salt to taste
Directions
1. In a blender add cut tomatoes, onion, tamarind paste, pomegranate seeds and green chilies. Blend until you get a smooth, watery mixture.
2. Add half the cilantro leaves and stems and blend. Add the other half of cilantro and blend. Add sugar and salt to taste. Blend again.
Originally published on Zester Daily, August 2010.