Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum
One plant, two pantry identities: fresh leaves (cilantro) and dried ripe fruit (coriander seed). Leaf flavor is aldehyde-bright and vanishes with heat and with bolting. Seed is warm and citrus-woody.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
Also called: coriander, coriander seed, Chinese parsley
What it is
One plant, two pantry identities: fresh leaves (cilantro) and dried ripe fruit (coriander seed). Leaf flavor is aldehyde-bright and vanishes with heat and with bolting. Seed is warm and citrus-woody.
From the existing encyclopedia
Coriander anchors spice blends from curry to chai. Toast whole seeds briefly, then grind for maximum fragrance in oil-based dishes. Toast whole seeds briefly in a dry pan to wake volatile oils before grinding. Balances with honey or dates in warm drinks when used as food sweetening. When substituting dried Coriander for fresh, use about one-third the volume and bloom in fat or hot water before adding acid or dairy.
Edible portions
- leaves
- unripe green seed
- ripe dried seed
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. Annual; cool for leaf, warm to finish seed
- Light. Full sun to light shade
- Soil. Average, well-drained
- Planting. Direct-sow successions every few weeks for leaf; let a patch go to seed for spice.
- Harvest. Cut leafy plants before the stem elongates. For seed, wait until fruits brown.
Processing, drying, storage
- Drying. Leaves dry poorly (hay). Seeds are the drying crop. See also Make → Drying.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Leaves in salsa, chutney, pho garnish
- Toasted seed in curry powder and pickles
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
- Integrated from the existing aaaLifetime / quantum-biohack encyclopedia corpus (unique text preserved where it was not boilerplate).
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class A. Strong page: distinctive plant facts plus practical growing or kitchen use.