Posts Tagged ‘Coriander’

Coriander herb – Characteristics, Uses, Properties and Medicinal Uses

Coriander, which is basically an annual herb in the family of apiaceae is exotic to southern Europe and north America to southwestern Asia. The plant of coriander is a soft and hairless growing to 20 inches in height; with variable shape leaves loaded at the base of the plant. The coriander is a flowering stem having white or pale pink with the petals pointing away from the center. In the American usage, the seeds are generally called as coriander and the leaves as cilantro. Coriander oil used in the fruits gives them the bitter, pleasant, strong, sweetish and peculiarly aromatic color.

Early uses and Folklore:
- Hippocrates recommended use of coriander as a medicine. Later on, Late Bronze Age invaders introduced the coriander plant into Britain. They used coriander to flavor their barley gruel and mixed it with cumin and vinegar to preserve meat.
- The farmers in the Essex referred coriander by the name of Col.
- Coriander was thought to be an aphrodisiac and was added to love potions during medieval periods as, when it was consumed with wine it simulates the animal passion. The Israelites used coriander in their cooking and the Chinese believe that those who consume coriander seeds will be rewarded with immortality.
- Gerard defined coriander as a “very stinking herb” and was introduced to Mexico and Peru by the Spanish conquistadors. After then it became an integral ingredient in their chili.

Uses:
All parts of the coriander plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts which are most commonly used in cooking. The fresh leaves are a main ingredient in most of south Asian foods like chutneys; it is also used in Chinese dishes and Mexican dishes also particularly guacamole, garnish and salsa. Chopped leaves of the coriander are garnished on dishes such as curries and dal. In Asian and Indian recipes, leaves are used in large amount and are cooked until their flavor is gone. Fresh leaves are used as salad in many countries. The seeds of the coriander are used as a spice in garam masala and Indian curries. Coriander seeds are also used in brewing certain styles of beer, mainly in Belgian wheat beers. The seeds of coriander plant are used with orange peel to add a citrus character. In spite, of the seeds and leaves the roots of the plant are used in variety of Asian cuisines; as they have a deeper and intense flavor. They are commonly used in Thai Dishes including curry pastes and soaps.
Coriander is common in Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, South Asian, Latin American, Texan, African, Chinese, Southeast Asian and Scandinavian cuisine.
There are lots of other benefits of the coriander which can be also be listed. Medicinal uses and heath effects:
- Coriander contains antioxidants in it which prevents the spoilage of food filled with the spice. A research on the coriander shows that both the leaves and seeds contain antioxidants but the leaves are having higher proportion.
- Coriander can be used as medicine for diabetes as it contains insulin-releasing and insulin like activity.
- There are some of the chemicals derived from the coriander which contains antibacterial activity against salmonella choleraesuis and this acted to be the non-ionic surfactants.
- Coriander has a significant hypolipidemic effect resulting in lowering the levels of triglycerides and cholesterol and increasing the levels of high density lipoproteins.
- Coriander juice can also be applied on the face as a type of toner to clear the acne’s.
There are some of the plants which are same like coriander like Eryngium foetidum, Persicaria Odorata called as Vietnamese coriander, Papaloquelite, macrocephalum

Precautions:
Coriander is a useful herb but, it can also cause reactions in some people; so, be careful.

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Health benefits of various natural spices

Spice is the corner stone of life, even if it is about food, love, relationships or career. Nobody loves a bland, monotonous taste in life. Spices add the much needed zing to the ultimate product. It gives the color, flavor and taste to you daily dose of health. Apart from all this spices give you the boost much needed to combat those evil predators who wreak havoc with your immune system. Spices include a wide variety of herbs, roots, flowers and fruits. It has the humble ubiquitous cumin to the rare and costly Saffron, but ultimately all of them do the one thing, add the much needed zest to your taste buds and body.
Spices have antioxidant properties which helps you to combat Alzheimer, aging and heart disease. It has antimicrobial properties which helps to keep food safe and also kills many pathogens which cling to it. The anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the clumping of blood platelets and boost the circulatory system. Spices are also said to improve brain function. There are a great variety of spice which are the integral part of Indian, Chinese and Mediterranean cooking. The use of spice varies with respect to Indian, Chinese or Mediterranean cuisines.
To examine the health benefits of certain spices, we can begin with,

Cumin: It is one of the best sources of Iron and is used to improve digestion. Water boiled with cumin is used to control dysentery in infants.
Cardamom: The amazing cardamom tea is the best thing to lift your spirits. It is a breathe freshener and is used to cope with diabetics.
Coriander: Water boiled with coriander is a good kidney cleanser. It is good to combat rheumatism, sore throat, indigestion, allergies etc.
Curry Leaves: These are the friends of the diabetics. Curry leaves are chewed early in the morning to reduce blood sugar. It is used cleansing the body and also is a part of a host of herbal medicines.
Cinnamon: cholesterol can be considerably reduced by cinnamon. It also reduces the blood sugar levels and encourages the production of natural insulin.
Chilly: It contains Capsaicin which has antioxidant and anti-microbial properties which gives a boost to the immune system.
Clove: this humble flower was used from time immemorial to combat tooth and gum problems. It also fights digestive disorders, cough and cold.
Garlic: Reams of paper can be used to illustrate the uses of this wonder spice. It has strong antioxidant properties and is said to combat a simple cold to life threatening cancer.
Mustard: It contains omega three fatty acids an dis a wonderful source of Iron, calcium and Zinc. It is a great massage oil as it reduces aches and pains.
Pepper: Need to combat common cold then pepper is your answer. It also deals with muscle pains and digestive disorders.
Nutmeg: It is said to be a antidote for Asthma, digestive tract problems and even cancer.
Oregano: This Mediterranean spice calms digestive disorders and helps in curing respiratory illness.
Thyme: Just use it to counter you respiratory disorders and it also stimulates your immune system.
Rosemary: This was an air-freshener before the arrival of synthetic products. It is also soothes and improves the digestive system.
Saffron: This is one of the costliest spice in the world. Saffron is said to combat aging and reduce wrinkles. Continuous use is said to increase the skin tone. Saffron helps to cure a humble headache to the terrible tumors.
The list of the spices are endless and the continuous and judicious use helps in fighting diseases. Everything has a flip side and excessive use of the spices can play havoc with your digestion and circulatory systems. So go for the spice in your life but keep it under your thumb.