What would be a good substitute for coriander?

Answer 1

Coriander/Cilantro

It would depend on the recipe.

Coriander is the whole plant, whereas cilantro is a stage of growth: the stage producing light green broad-leaf growth prior to bolting.

Bolting is the next stage of growth, in which coriander flowers and produces seed. The plant becomes long and spindly. Leaf growth is sparse, finer and darker in colour. Stems are darker in overall colour with fine light/dark striation along the axis of growth. Once the plant has bolted, it takes on a bitter taste and is no longer suitable for recipes calling for coriander.

Misuse of the term cilantro as a name for the plant is largely confined to the United States, and this often confuses Americans who think they are supposed to use the spice made from the ground seed when in fact chopped leaf is indicated. In the rest of the world, "coriander" customarily refers to the entire plant (root leaf and stem) in the cilantro stage, and "coriander seed" indicates, well, coriander seed.

Coriander is a pungent flat leaf herb, part of the carrot family, and is very similar by eye to flat leaf parsley. Dried Coriander leaf is much less tasty.

When making salsa, parsley can provide similar texture, and pepper the spicy flavor.

Alternative View

Coriander tastes nothing like cilantro, even though they are from the same plant. I use both coriander and cilantro quite often so I can say this with certainty. Coriander has a mild floral flavor, like a cross between citrus and sage. I would try a combination of sage and lemon zest.

Answer 2

Coriander/Cilantro

It would depend on the recipe.

Coriander is the whole plant, whereas cilantro is a stage of growth: the stage producing light green broad-leaf growth prior to bolting.

Bolting is the next stage of growth, in which coriander flowers and produces seed. The plant becomes long and spindly. Leaf growth is sparse, finer and darker in colour. Stems are darker in overall colour with fine light/dark striation along the axis of growth. Once the plant has bolted, it takes on a bitter taste and is no longer suitable for recipes calling for coriander.

Misuse of the term cilantro as a name for the plant is largely confined to the United States, and this often confuses Americans who think they are supposed to use the spice made from the ground seed when in fact chopped leaf is indicated. In the rest of the world, "coriander" customarily refers to the entire plant (root leaf and stem) in the cilantro stage, and "coriander seed" indicates, well, coriander seed.

Coriander is a pungent flat leaf herb, part of the carrot family, and is very similar by eye to flat leaf parsley. Dried Coriander leaf is much less tasty.

When making salsa, parsley can provide similar texture, and pepper the spicy flavor.

Alternative View

Coriander tastes nothing like cilantro, even though they are from the same plant. I use both coriander and cilantro quite often so I can say this with certainty. Coriander has a mild floral flavor, like a cross between citrus and sage. I would try a combination of sage and lemon zest.

Answer 3

Coriander substitution - if a recipe calls for fresh coriander and you don't have it, substitute 1 Tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves with:

• 1 Tbs chopped frehs parsley leaves
• 1 Tbs chopped frehs tarragon
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh dil

If a recipe calls for coriander seeds and you don't have them, substitute 1 tsp coriander seed with:

• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 to 2/4 tsp cardamom seeds

Since cilantro is the same thing as coriander why not use it as the substitute?

Answer

Neither of the above substitutions would in my opinion taste like coriander, though the second one is probably better. Coriander has a mild floral flavor, like a cross between citrus and sage. I would probably try a combination of lemon zest and sage.

In any case, the quantities called for above would be way too strong - cumin for example is probably 5-10x stronger, so if you substitute 1 to 1 you're going to ruin your dish.

Also, coriander tastes nothing like cilantro, though they are from the same plant. Coriander is the seed, cilantro is the leaf, so there is no such thing as fresh coriander leaves.

Another Solution

But first, the reason that you would not use cilantro instead of coriander is that you don't want the flavour, no matter how it is spelled. Some of us have an immediate revulsion for the flavour of fresh coriader leaves. Something to do with a different chemical reaction in the mouth to what most people have. Unfortunate for me because I love most cuisines which heavily feature the herb - Mexican, Indian, Thai particularly.

My solution is not to replicate the flavour exactly but to give a dish a similar feel and freshness so I am using...

The same total amount of herbs in the following proportion - 1/2 fresh mint and 1/2 flat parsley.

The only problem with this is if the recipe also calls for fresh mint already and then you'll be overdoing the mint. Am open to any other suggestions as well.

Answer 4

The fresh herb coriander (also known as cilantro) can usually be replaced by a mild herb such as flat-leaf Italian parsley, dill, or fennel fronds. The taste is similarly light and fresh, but the base flavour is slightly different. Dry coriander has quite a distinctive flavour that is difficult to substitute.

Answer 5

There really isn't a spice equivalent to corriander. It shares an earthiness also found in cumin and often these two are paired together in recipes but they remain quite distinct from eachother

Answer 6

parsley.

Specifically, Chinese parsley or cilantro . For ground dried coriander, maybe just a wee touch of cloves or some Basil leaf.