CILANTRO
Cilantro is an extremely popular herb that is used extensively and liberally in Indian, Thai, South American and Middle Eastern cuisine. Other names for Cilantro, which you may recognize, are Coriander and Chinese parsley. The leaves of Cilantro bear a very strong resemblance to Italian flat-leafed parsley and sometimes it is difficult to tell them apart.
Cilantro has been around for thousands of years, even as far back as 5000 BC. It is native to southern Europe and the Middle East and was used by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks.
In fact, the Romans used coriander to flavor their bread and to preserve their meat whilst traveling.
Coriander has also been used for thousands of years in medicine, to mask the naturally unpleasant taste of some medicines, as well as for medicinal purposes.
Although Cilantro is a tiny herb, it is actually full of vitamins and minerals. It is particularly rich in Vitamins A and K, but also contains plenty of Vitamins B, C and E.
As for the mineral content, Cilantro has a phenomenal amount of potassium and is also a good source of calcium, magnesium and phosphorous.
As with most herbs, Cilantro is best bought fresh as opposed to dried. Fresh herbs are so much more flavorsome, although they only stay fresh for a few days. Fresh Cilantro, bought from the supermarket will last for about three days. They should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.
Cilantro has been around for thousands of years, even as far back as 5000 BC. It is native to southern Europe and the Middle East and was used by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks.
In fact, the Romans used coriander to flavor their bread and to preserve their meat whilst traveling.
Coriander has also been used for thousands of years in medicine, to mask the naturally unpleasant taste of some medicines, as well as for medicinal purposes.
Although Cilantro is a tiny herb, it is actually full of vitamins and minerals. It is particularly rich in Vitamins A and K, but also contains plenty of Vitamins B, C and E.
As for the mineral content, Cilantro has a phenomenal amount of potassium and is also a good source of calcium, magnesium and phosphorous.
As with most herbs, Cilantro is best bought fresh as opposed to dried. Fresh herbs are so much more flavorsome, although they only stay fresh for a few days. Fresh Cilantro, bought from the supermarket will last for about three days. They should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.