Are Coriander and Cilantro the Same Thing?

Wondrous Words Wednesday
Cilantro 2
Beautiful green cilantro leaves

It was early morning, and my friend Don prepared a lovely egg sandwich for his wife before we set out on our six-hour drive to the Adirondacks. Don seasoned the sandwich with Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce and chopped green leaves that smelled like cilantro, although the sticker on the herb bag said “coriander”.

“Are coriander and cilantro the same thing?” I asked him. Don knows everything; trust me, you never want to challenge him to a game of Trivial Pursuit. And lately, he’s gotten serious about cooking.

“I think so. It smells like it, and I can’t find anything labeled “cilantro” at the store. You should blog about it.”

 

Well Don, here you go. And, not a surprise, you were right. 😉

This isn’t a cooking blog, but the cilantro mystery intrigued me. To learn more interesting words, join Kathy’s Wondrous Words Wednesday meme, where bloggers share new words they’ve learned or favorites they enjoy.

The deal with coriander and cilantro

In short, coriander and cilantro are the same thing. Cilantro, also called Chinese or Mexican parsley, refers to the leaves of the coriander plant when it’s in its early or vegetative state. Once the plant flowers and grows seeds, it’s called coriander. Coriander is good in curries, soups, and stews.  I love to use cilantro in salsa, salad, and Asian recipes. Unfortunately, I’m the only one in the house who likes it.

I’ve struggled with growing and storing cilantro. Here are some helpful tips for doing both.

To grow cilantro

Cilantro plants will bolt and go to seed in temperatures above 75 degrees F. (this has always been my problem) For best results:

  • Grow in cool but sunny conditions
  • Keep it shaded during the hottest part of the day
  • Prune frequently
  • Replant every six weeks; it’s a short-lived herb and will bolt even with frequent pruning

That sounds like too much work for me.  On to better storage!

Cilantro 1Storing tips

  • Choose a bunch with green, aromatic leaves
  • Pick out any wilted leaves
  • Put stems in a jar with water, like flowers
  • Cover leaves with plastic bag
  • Put jar in the fridge
  • Change water every two days and pick out wilted leaves

Whew, that’s kinda high maintenance as well, but I love my cilantro, so I’ll give it a try.

Thanks to whatscookingamerica.net and gardeningknowhow.com for the helpful info.

Word Nerd Workout

What interesting foodie word can you share? Any helpful food storage tips?

Don’t forget to visit Kathy’s site to learn more interesting words.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me today!

Julia

Julia Tomiak
I believe in the power of words to improve our lives, and I help people find interesting words to read. Member of SCBWI.

11 Comments

  1. I had no idea cilantro and coriander were the same plant! I use a LOT of cilantro, so I want to try growing it this summer. But I also had no idea I would have to replant it so frequently….we’ll see how it goes, I guess.

  2. Wow. I was pretty sure the answer to your title question was NO. I had no idea.

    Of course, I have never cooked with coriander. But I know I hate cilantro. (I’m sorry. I do.) Now I know to avoid any recipe that calls for coriander, too! 😉

  3. For a non-foodie post, this is great! I love cilantro, but had no idea it was related to coriander. Also, I had no idea I could keep it going in the refrig. Thanks Julia.

  4. Hi Julia,

    You opened up a whole can of worms with this post .. vocabulary wise that is!

    I have never come across Cilantro before, only ever having known it is Coriander – but be warned, in some people, touching Coriander can cause some side effects, including allergic skin reactions and increased sensitivity to the sun.

    Slightly off subject, but when you posed the question about interesting foodie words, I searched and came across this great site, which ran an article called “31 Truly Unfortunate Food Product Names”

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/31-truly-unfortunate-food-product-names#.cw6y7YZvg

    They were all so funny, that I had trouble choosing a favourite .. What about you? 🙂

    Yvonne

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