What is cilantro? Dried green cilantro and its seeds are called? How is this plant used in cooking and is it good for the body? These and some other questions will be answered by our article on cilantro.
One plant, two spices
Dried cilantro (another name for the plant is coriander) is used as seasoning for dishes. The plant is also popularly called "Chinese parsley." Outwardly they are similar. But cilantro is perhaps more diverse in its types and properties of use during cooking.
Green leaves of a plant are most often called cilantro. But the fruits (ground and whole) - coriander. Thus, from one plant is obtained not one useful spice for cooking.
How is used in cooking
Fruits are more valuable, of course, but greens go well with many dishes. Greens are good in salads, fish dishes and soups. Fruits often find their application during the manufacture of cheeses, marinades, canned goods. Some sausages are made with the addition of coriander seeds (cilantro). People found the use of coriander even in the brewing direction and in the production of some liquors. Even dry coriander seeds are used in baking.
Taste description
Talk about taste is not always possible. However, we will try to do this for those who have no idea what taste coriander (cilantro) has. Here is a pretty rough description:
- dried cilantro greens have a bitter taste and a rather sharp, pronounced aroma (similar to anise);
- the dried fruits of the plant have a warm shade and woody aroma.
Benefits and calories
Now let's talk about the benefits that the body benefits from using cilantro. To begin with, the spice has about 25 kilocalories per hundred grams of greens (fresh). Dried and fresh cilantro helps the digestive tract absorb food well. This is especially true during the use of heavy meat dishes.
Cilantro helps eliminate excess fluid from the body. For the diuretic effect, fresh cilantro and dried cilantro can be used. But it is best to use coriander fruits to get rid of puffiness. It is enough to brew one teaspoon of non-ground seeds with a glass of boiling water and insist them for three minutes. Divide the resulting liquid into three doses and drink it three times a day.
Coriander is preferably introduced into the diet of people suffering from iron deficiency anemia. Regular consumption of dried spice and cilantro, dried (and fresh), can bring the level of hemoglobin in the blood to more acceptable standards.
Cilantro also acts favorably on the nervous system. Using it, you smooth out the signs of mild depression. Anxiety and short temper will decrease if you regularly start eating cilantro greens and add coriander seeds to your meals. The thing is that the plant has calming properties.
Contraindications
It should be remembered that this plant is considered medicinal. This means that you can’t eat it completely uncontrollably. Any medicine is good in moderate doses, and this fragrant spice is no exception.
To avoid some malfunctions in the body, it is necessary to remember the norms of consumption of this spice. Fresh cilantro will only benefit if its amount does not exceed thirty grams. Grains or ground coriander should not be consumed more than three to four grams per day.
If you ignore the norms of consumption of this spice, you may encounter some problems. Women with irrepressible addition of coriander to their menu have a good chance of knocking out their cycle from the normal rhythm. Men will discover a potency failure and will earn insomnia if they are very ardent fans of this spice.