Corriander Seed

Country of origin: Russia

Extraction method: steam distillation

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), is also known as cilantro, Chinese parsley or dhania[, and an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southern Europe, North Africa and southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer (5–6 mm) than those pointing towards it (only 1–3 mm long). The fruit is a globular, dry schizocarp 3–5 mm in diameter.

The dry fruits are known as coriander or coriandi seeds. In India they are called dhania. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to terpenes linalool and pinene. The smell is described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured.

The variety C. s. vulgare or macrocarpum has a fruit diameter of 3–5 mm, while var. microcarpum fruits have a diameter of 1.5–3 mm. Large-fruited types are grown mainly by tropical and subtropical countries, e.g. Morocco, India and Australia, and contain a low volatile oil content (0.1-0.4%). They are used extensively for grinding and blending purposes in the spice trade. Types with smaller fruit are produced in temperate regions and usually have a volatile oil content of around 0.4-1.8%, and are therefore highly valued as a raw material for the preparation of essential oil.