The market · Herbs and aromatics · The Americas, Southeast Asia, South Asia, The Middle East
Coriander
Leaf, stem and root of the same plant — citrusy, green and, to some people, soapy.
citrusy · green
What to do with it
ThaiLarbMinced meat cooked briefly and dressed warm with lime, fish sauce, chilli and toasted ground rice, with shallot, mint and coriander.No one here has made it yet
VietnameseBánh mìA light, crackling-crusted baguette filled with pâté, cold cuts or grilled meat, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, coriander and chilli.No one here has made it yetTeochewTeochew beef hotpotVery fresh beef, cut to order by the part, dipped for seconds in a clear broth and eaten with shacha sauce.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha stinky tofuBlack squares of fermented tofu, deep-fried until puffed and crisp, then pierced and filled with a sauce of chilli, garlic, soy and sesame oil.No one here has made it yetHunanHunan stir-fried beefThin slices of beef stir-fried in moments with a heap of fresh chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander stems — tender, fragrant and very hot.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha spicy crayfishWhole crayfish stir-fried and braised in a red, oily sauce of chilli, garlic, beer and spices, eaten with the fingers at night-market tables in summer.No one here has made it yetBeijingInstant-boiled muttonPaper-thin slices of raw mutton swished for a moment in plain boiling water, in a chimneyed copper pot over charcoal, then dipped in a rich sesame sauce.No one here has made it yetBeijingBaoduBeef or lamb tripe cut into strips, dipped in boiling water for a few seconds until just crisp, and eaten with a sesame-paste sauce.No one here has made it yetYunnanDai lemongrass grilled fishA river fish split open, stuffed with chopped herbs, garlic and chilli, bound up with lemongrass stalks and grilled over charcoal.No one here has made it yet
PunjabiAloo parathaWholewheat flatbread stuffed with spiced potato, rolled thin and cooked on a tawa with ghee, eaten with white butter, yoghurt and pickle.No one here has made it yetPunjabiAmritsari kulchaA leavened flatbread stuffed with spiced potato, pressed with coriander seed, slapped onto the wall of a tandoor and served dripping with butter beside chole.No one here has made it yetGujaratiDhoklaA spongy, steamed savoury cake of gram flour or fermented rice and lentils, tempered with mustard seed, curry leaves and green chilli and soaked in a sweetened water.No one here has made it yetGujaratiUndhiyuA winter medley of flat beans, purple yam, sweet potato, baby aubergine and plantain, slow-cooked with fenugreek dumplings and a green masala of coconut and coriander.No one here has made it yetGujaratiKhandviGram flour cooked with yoghurt into a thick batter, spread paper-thin, rolled into soft spirals and tempered with mustard seed, sesame and coconut.No one here has made it yetGujaratiDabeliA soft bread roll split and stuffed with a sweet, hot potato filling, tamarind-date chutney, masala peanuts, pomegranate and sev, then toasted in butter.No one here has made it yetGujaratiSev tameta nu shaakTomatoes cooked down with garlic, chilli and a little jaggery into a sweet-sour gravy, with crisp gram-flour sev scattered over just before eating.No one here has made it yetGoanCafrealChicken marinated in a bright green paste of coriander, green chilli, garlic, ginger, spice and lime or vinegar, then pan-fried until charred at the edges.No one here has made it yetRajasthaniMirchi badaBig, mild green chillies stuffed with spiced potato, dipped in gram-flour batter and deep-fried.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianRasamA thin, peppery, sour broth of tamarind and tomato, with cumin and garlic — poured over rice, or drunk from a cup.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianHyderabadi biryaniMarinated goat or chicken layered raw under half-cooked basmati, with saffron, fried onion and mint, then sealed and cooked slowly on dum.No one here has made it yet
LevantineFalafelBalls of soaked, raw chickpeas ground with herbs, onion and spice and deep-fried — crisp outside, green and soft within.No one here has made it yetPersianGhormeh sabziA deep green stew of herbs fried slowly in oil, with lamb, kidney beans and whole dried limes.No one here has made it yetPersianKuku sabziA thick, deep-green frittata that's mostly herbs, bound with just enough egg, often with barberries and walnuts.No one here has made it yetPersianAsh reshtehA thick soup of beans, chickpeas, lentils, herbs and flat noodles, topped with kashk, fried onions and dried mint.No one here has made it yet
GeorgianKhinkaliLarge pleated dumplings of spiced minced meat that fill with broth as they boil, eaten by hand.No one here has made it yetGeorgianPkhaliCooked vegetables — spinach, beetroot, leek or cabbage — chopped fine with walnut paste and herbs, shaped into balls.No one here has made it yet
GeorgianTkemaliA sour plum sauce with garlic, dill, coriander and chilli — Georgia's ketchup, for meat and potatoes.No one here has made it yet
GeorgianLobioRed beans cooked soft, partly mashed, with coriander, garlic, spices and sometimes walnuts, often in a clay pot.No one here has made it yetGeorgianKharchoBeef simmered in a thick sauce of ground walnuts, garlic and spice, soured with sour plum — a stew in the west of Georgia, a soup elsewhere.No one here has made it yet
MoroccanChicken with preserved lemon and olivesChicken braised with onion, ginger, saffron and turmeric until the sauce is thick, finished with preserved lemon and green olives.No one here has made it yet
MoroccanHariraA soup of tomato, lentils, chickpeas and a little lamb, thick with herbs and thickened at the end with flour, served with lemon and dates.No one here has made it yet
MoroccanZaaloukAubergine and tomato cooked down with garlic, cumin and paprika, mashed, and eaten warm or cold with bread.No one here has made it yetMoroccanFish tagine with charmoulaFish marinated in charmoula, laid over potatoes, tomatoes and peppers with preserved lemon and olives, and cooked slowly in the tagine.No one here has made it yet
MexicanSalsa verdeTomatillos, green chilli, onion and coriander, boiled or charred and blended — sharp, green, on everything.No one here has made it yet
MexicanGuacamoleRipe avocado crushed with lime, onion, green chilli, coriander and salt — rough, fresh and made just before eating.No one here has made it yetPeruvianArroz con patoDuck browned and braised with beer, ají and a purée of coriander, then rice cooked in the green broth until it's full of flavour.No one here has made it yetBrazilianMoqueca baianaFish, or prawns, stewed in coconut milk and dendê palm oil with tomato, peppers, onion, lime and coriander.No one here has made it yetBrazilianVatapáA thick, creamy paste of bread, dried shrimp, peanuts and cashews cooked with coconut milk, dendê and ginger.No one here has made it yetBrazilianPato no tucupiRoast duck simmered in tucupi, the sour yellow broth of fermented cassava juice, with jambu leaves that make the mouth tingle.No one here has made it yet
VietnameseBánh mìA light, crackling-crusted baguette filled with pâté, cold cuts or grilled meat, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, coriander and chilli.No one here has made it yetTeochewTeochew beef hotpotVery fresh beef, cut to order by the part, dipped for seconds in a clear broth and eaten with shacha sauce.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha stinky tofuBlack squares of fermented tofu, deep-fried until puffed and crisp, then pierced and filled with a sauce of chilli, garlic, soy and sesame oil.No one here has made it yetHunanHunan stir-fried beefThin slices of beef stir-fried in moments with a heap of fresh chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander stems — tender, fragrant and very hot.No one here has made it yetHunanChangsha spicy crayfishWhole crayfish stir-fried and braised in a red, oily sauce of chilli, garlic, beer and spices, eaten with the fingers at night-market tables in summer.No one here has made it yetBeijingInstant-boiled muttonPaper-thin slices of raw mutton swished for a moment in plain boiling water, in a chimneyed copper pot over charcoal, then dipped in a rich sesame sauce.No one here has made it yetBeijingBaoduBeef or lamb tripe cut into strips, dipped in boiling water for a few seconds until just crisp, and eaten with a sesame-paste sauce.No one here has made it yetYunnanDai lemongrass grilled fishA river fish split open, stuffed with chopped herbs, garlic and chilli, bound up with lemongrass stalks and grilled over charcoal.No one here has made it yetPunjabiAloo parathaWholewheat flatbread stuffed with spiced potato, rolled thin and cooked on a tawa with ghee, eaten with white butter, yoghurt and pickle.No one here has made it yetPunjabiAmritsari kulchaA leavened flatbread stuffed with spiced potato, pressed with coriander seed, slapped onto the wall of a tandoor and served dripping with butter beside chole.No one here has made it yetGujaratiDhoklaA spongy, steamed savoury cake of gram flour or fermented rice and lentils, tempered with mustard seed, curry leaves and green chilli and soaked in a sweetened water.No one here has made it yetGujaratiUndhiyuA winter medley of flat beans, purple yam, sweet potato, baby aubergine and plantain, slow-cooked with fenugreek dumplings and a green masala of coconut and coriander.No one here has made it yetGujaratiKhandviGram flour cooked with yoghurt into a thick batter, spread paper-thin, rolled into soft spirals and tempered with mustard seed, sesame and coconut.No one here has made it yetGujaratiDabeliA soft bread roll split and stuffed with a sweet, hot potato filling, tamarind-date chutney, masala peanuts, pomegranate and sev, then toasted in butter.No one here has made it yetGujaratiSev tameta nu shaakTomatoes cooked down with garlic, chilli and a little jaggery into a sweet-sour gravy, with crisp gram-flour sev scattered over just before eating.No one here has made it yetGoanCafrealChicken marinated in a bright green paste of coriander, green chilli, garlic, ginger, spice and lime or vinegar, then pan-fried until charred at the edges.No one here has made it yetRajasthaniMirchi badaBig, mild green chillies stuffed with spiced potato, dipped in gram-flour batter and deep-fried.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianRasamA thin, peppery, sour broth of tamarind and tomato, with cumin and garlic — poured over rice, or drunk from a cup.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianHyderabadi biryaniMarinated goat or chicken layered raw under half-cooked basmati, with saffron, fried onion and mint, then sealed and cooked slowly on dum.No one here has made it yetLevantineFalafelBalls of soaked, raw chickpeas ground with herbs, onion and spice and deep-fried — crisp outside, green and soft within.No one here has made it yetPersianGhormeh sabziA deep green stew of herbs fried slowly in oil, with lamb, kidney beans and whole dried limes.No one here has made it yetPersianKuku sabziA thick, deep-green frittata that's mostly herbs, bound with just enough egg, often with barberries and walnuts.No one here has made it yetPersianAsh reshtehA thick soup of beans, chickpeas, lentils, herbs and flat noodles, topped with kashk, fried onions and dried mint.No one here has made it yetGeorgianKhinkaliLarge pleated dumplings of spiced minced meat that fill with broth as they boil, eaten by hand.No one here has made it yetGeorgianPkhaliCooked vegetables — spinach, beetroot, leek or cabbage — chopped fine with walnut paste and herbs, shaped into balls.No one here has made it yetGeorgianTkemaliA sour plum sauce with garlic, dill, coriander and chilli — Georgia's ketchup, for meat and potatoes.No one here has made it yetGeorgianLobioRed beans cooked soft, partly mashed, with coriander, garlic, spices and sometimes walnuts, often in a clay pot.No one here has made it yetGeorgianKharchoBeef simmered in a thick sauce of ground walnuts, garlic and spice, soured with sour plum — a stew in the west of Georgia, a soup elsewhere.No one here has made it yetMoroccanChicken with preserved lemon and olivesChicken braised with onion, ginger, saffron and turmeric until the sauce is thick, finished with preserved lemon and green olives.No one here has made it yetMoroccanHariraA soup of tomato, lentils, chickpeas and a little lamb, thick with herbs and thickened at the end with flour, served with lemon and dates.No one here has made it yetMoroccanZaaloukAubergine and tomato cooked down with garlic, cumin and paprika, mashed, and eaten warm or cold with bread.No one here has made it yetMoroccanFish tagine with charmoulaFish marinated in charmoula, laid over potatoes, tomatoes and peppers with preserved lemon and olives, and cooked slowly in the tagine.No one here has made it yetMexicanSalsa verdeTomatillos, green chilli, onion and coriander, boiled or charred and blended — sharp, green, on everything.No one here has made it yetMexicanGuacamoleRipe avocado crushed with lime, onion, green chilli, coriander and salt — rough, fresh and made just before eating.No one here has made it yetPeruvianArroz con patoDuck browned and braised with beer, ají and a purée of coriander, then rice cooked in the green broth until it's full of flavour.No one here has made it yetBrazilianMoqueca baianaFish, or prawns, stewed in coconut milk and dendê palm oil with tomato, peppers, onion, lime and coriander.No one here has made it yetBrazilianVatapáA thick, creamy paste of bread, dried shrimp, peanuts and cashews cooked with coconut milk, dendê and ginger.No one here has made it yetBrazilianPato no tucupiRoast duck simmered in tucupi, the sour yellow broth of fermented cassava juice, with jambu leaves that make the mouth tingle.No one here has made it yetKinds
- Leaves and stems
- Stems have more flavour than leaves; chop them in.
- Roots
- Pounded into Thai pastes.
- Seeds
- A different spice altogether: warm and orangey.
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Big bunches from Asian, Middle Eastern or Latin American grocers, roots on if you can.
- A little history
- The 'soapy' taste is partly genetic — a variant near an olfactory receptor gene makes some people notice it far more.
Kitchens that keep it in
Chaoshan, the far east of Guangdong, southern ChinaTeochewThe cooking of Chaozhou and Shantou on the coast of eastern Guangdong: seafood, clear broths and slow master-stock braises, each dish with its own little dip.7 classicsGeorgia — the South Caucasus, between the Black Sea and the CaspianGeorgianWalnuts ground into sauces, fistfuls of fresh herbs, cheese breads and sour plums — cooking made for long tables and long toasts.10 classicsMoroccoMoroccanSlow tagines, steamed couscous and sweet-savoury pastries, scented with warm spice, preserved lemon and handfuls of fresh herbs.11 classicsMexicoMexicanMaize, chillies and fire: a cooking thousands of years deep, built on nixtamalised corn, a whole spectrum of dried chillies, and salsas at every meal.11 classicsPeru — the Pacific coast, the Andes and the AmazonPeruvianAndean potatoes, maize and chillies, met by Spanish, African, Chinese and Japanese cooks — and a coast that eats its fish raw in lime.10 classicsBrazil — the eastern half of South America, from the Amazon to the southern pampasBrazilianBlack beans and rice every day, cassava in a dozen forms, fish stewed in palm oil and coconut, and meat roasted over coals on long skewers.10 classics
