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You might wonder why some cookbooks call for coriander in recipes and others ask for cilantro. Perhaps you are unsure why there are signs in the supermarket saying both cilantro and coriander. Are these two items the same thing? What is coriander and what is cilantro?

To begin with, cilantro is a herb, which is part of the carrot family. It is tasty and very versatile for cooking. It comes fresh or dried and tastes a bit like citrus. Coriander is a spice, which comes from the coriander plant. It is harvested and then dried. The leaves and stems of the coriander plant are known as cilantro. Cilantro leaves look a little like flat Italian parsley and in fact, the two herbs are related.

The history of cilantro is very interesting. It has been used for baking and cooking since ancient Egyptian times. A lot of ancient Egyptian writings mention coriander seeds and these seeds have also been discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs.

Some stores sell Mexican parsley and this resembles cilantro. It is actually the same herb because Mexican parsley, coriander, and cilantro all come from the coriander plant. Cilantro is widely used in Mexican and Caribbean cuisine, perhaps as much as parsley is used in American cuisine. Cilantro is becoming very popular as a cookery ingredient in western and southwestern parts of the United States.

Cilantro can be found in nearly any supermarket and will be in the produce section. You buy it in a bunch. You can tell the difference between parsley and cilantro by looking at the leaves and smelling it. Cilantro has a stronger, more pungent small and the leaves are wider than parsley leaves.

The herb, cilantro, is used in many sauces, salsas, tasty dips, and in dressings as well. Even some Chinese recipes call for Chinese parsley, which is the very same herb as cilantro.

If you buy cilantro and bring it home, you should rinse it and shake off the excess water, then put it in a glass of water with just the stems below the water. Cover the leaves with a plastic bag. This is much better than drying the cilantro because it preserves the flavor and it will keep for about a week. If you live somewhere very hot, you can store the cilantro on the top shelf of the refrigerator.

Once you are ready to use the cilantro, you will want to use a pestle or a mortar to crush the leaves, which then helps to release the wonderful flavor of the cilantro. When you want to use the herb for cooking, make sure that you add it to the dish at the very end, since cilantro has a very delicate nature that does not do well with heat.

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