What’s So Great About Coriander?

In another instalment of “Herbs: Who Knew?” we learn that coriander (aka cilantro) is more than just a flavour boost and like so many of its unassuming little herb-y friends, provides some pretty impressive health benefits. Coriander and cilantro are in fact the same thing although we tend to refer to the hard little fruits of the plant as coriander and the bright green leaves as cilantro. Either way, they add an earthiness to chillies and soups (usually in powdered form) and the signature “dos Margaritas, por favour” flavour to guacamole. And really, we would have taken that. No need to do any more coriander, you had us at guacamole. Turns out, that guac is doing you more good than you knew (more research is needed on the Margaritas).

According to Everyday Health, “Coriander may aid in lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol and increasing ‘good’ cholesterol… It can also help lower blood sugar levels… and appears to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.” That’s right, apparently the natural oils can kill off everything from e-coli to salmonella, all while making your kitchen smell like the best Mexican restaurant. Plus its anti-inflammatory and a natural digestive aid.

Here’s a yummy tip from www.oprah.com: Add the seeds to everything from fruit salads to pasta. Or try culinary nutritionist Tricia Williams’ trick of steeping toasted coriander seeds in olive oil, then tossing quinoa in the flavoured oil.

Ok, I’m off to the lab to continue that research on the healing properties of margaritas… science never sleeps.