Coriander is one of the oldest spices in southern Europe and the Middle East, already used by the Egyptians, Jews, Greeks and Romans as a medicinal plant.
Even before, the Egyptians also knew and used coriander so much that its seeds were found in the tomb of Ramses II.
It is an annual herbaceous plant of the Apiaceae family, the same as cumin, dill, fennel and parsley, for this reason Coriander is also called Chinese parsley.
It has dentate and septate leaves; the seeds are similar to peppercorns but yellowish in color.
You can use both the leaves and the seeds of this plant.
The stem of Coriander is rich in vitamins while the seeds are rich in minerals such as phosphorus, potassium and zinc and have useful properties to facilitate digestion and to counteract stomach pain.
Coriander can be sown in any period of the year and used both fresh and dried, freezing is also possible. The seeds are kept whole in glass containers with hermetic closure.
Curiosity
In the Renaissance, to celebrate Carnival, Coriander seeds were glazed with sugar, replaced at first by chalk balls up to the colored paper discs still used today, therefore we owe to this plant the birth of the tradition of corianders at Carnival.