I usually keep this blog uncontroversial, butnot this week.
Coriandrum sativum, is in the Apiaceae family, thus a cousin ofparsley, carrots and celery. Other cousins worthy of mention are the highly prizedbut extinct Silphium (Leaf 80, https://lnkd.in/dNv53AbZ) and poisonhemlock. Of these, coriander is the only one with its own Facebook hate group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ihatecoriander).
Coriander is native to the Mediterranean Basinand appears to have been cultivated and eaten for thousands of years (see Spence2023 for further references). Most people actually like coriander. Dried corianderseed is used widely and uncontroversially as a spice. Coriander leaves (cilantro)are also widely used, particularly in Indian and Mexican dishes that most of usenjoy but provoke intense negative reactions those who detest the taste. Thisunfortunate minority claim that coriander leaves taste like soap or bugs, notthe sort of flavour one associates with food
Coriander is particularly rich in a terpinenealcohol called Linalool, that also occurs widely in plants outside the Apiaceaefamily, e.g. lavender. Linalool is interesting as it occurs in two mirror-imagesmolecular forms (enantiomers). Think of enantiomers like your hands – identicaluntil you try putting a left glove on your right hand! In addition to Linalool,the leaves contain fatty aldehydes that seem to be the flavour compounds determininghow people perceive the taste. Based on twin studies, aversion to corianderappears to have a genetic basis. Mutations in olfactory receptor gene OR6A2appear to be involved.
Besides culinary use, coriander contains Phytoactives that may offer cardiovascular and other benefits. Coriander oil is activeagainst bacteria and parasites and reduces age-related skin wrinkling.
So dear readers, even if you can’t stomachcoriander, might you consider putting it on your skin?
Further reading
🌿😋😝 Spence C(2023) Coriander (cilantro): A most divisive herb. International Journal ofGastronomy and Food Science, 100779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100779.
🌿😋😝 MahleyuddinNN et al (2021) Coriandrum sativum L.: A Review on Ethnopharmacology,Phytochemistry, and Cardiovascular Benefits. Molecules 27(1), 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010209
🌿😋😝 Al-Khayri JMet al (2023). Essential Oil from Coriandrum sativum: A review on ItsPhytochemistry and Biological Activity. Molecules. 2023;28(2):696.https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020696
🌿😋😝 Salem MA etal (2022) Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) essential oil and oil-loadednano-formulations as an anti-aging potentiality via TGFβ/SMAD pathway. Sci Rep. 12(1):6578. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10494-4
