What is the local name for coriander?

In this brief guide, we will address the query, “What is the local name for coriander?” We will also discuss the scientific name of coriander, where the name coriander came from, and what coriander is called in India. Moreover, we will also describe why coriander is called Chinese parsley and where it originated from along with its introduction and spread throughout the world.

What is the local name for coriander?

The local names of coriander are cilantro, Chinese parsley, dhaniya, etc. It is known by different names across the world. The local names for coriander are listed in the table below:

What is the scientific or botanical name for coriander?

The scientific name for coriander is Coriandrum sativum, a member of the parsley family. It belongs to the Apiaceae family or also known as Umbelliferae or Umbellifers. It is also home to many other aromatic herbs like anise, caraway, carrot, celery, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, parsley, etc.

Where did the name coriander come from?

The name coriander is derived from the French word “coriandre”. This name is adopted all over the world. However, in North America, fresh coriander leaves are generally known as “cilantro” which is the Spanish name for coriander leaves.

It is believed that the popularity of the herb gradually increased in the US with the introduction of Mexican cuisine and its growing use in Mexican cooking. 

This is why the Americans adopted the Spanish name for coriander leaves. However, this was not the case for the rest of the world where people generally use the name coriander.

What is coriander called in India? 

In India, coriander is commonly known as dhaniya or dhania. To be more precise, coriander powder is referred to as dhaniya powder, coriander seeds are called dhaniya seeds, and the leaves are simply dhaniya. 

This is the Hindi name for coriander. Since India is a multilingual country there are many other local names for coriander in different regional languages.

Why is coriander called Chinese parsley?

Coriander is commonly known as Chinese parsley due to its strong resemblance to parsley as well as its popularity in Asian cuisines. The green feathery leaves of coriander are very similar to parsley and they both are from the same family, but that’s not the only reason.

Moreover, Chinese parsley is popularly used as regular parsley in China, that might be where the name came from. So, that’s how cilantro came to be Chinese parsley all over the world.

Where did coriander originate from?

Coriander herb, which is now native to Southern Europe, was imported from the east by the Romans. Coriander originated from Italy but today it has spread out to different parts of the world. 

It is widely cultivated in the Netherlands, Central and Eastern Europe (including Russia and Hungary), the Mediterranean (including Morocco, Malta, and Egypt), North Africa, China, India, and Bangladesh.

How was coriander introduced and spread throughout the world?

Coriander is one of the oldest herbs known to mankind. It has been cultivated and used for different purposes since ancient times. 

It was said to be cultivated by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, incorporated in Hippocratic medical cures and even used to describe the flavor of manna in the Bible’s Book of Exodus; the earliest archaeological remains date to around 6000 BC in Israel.

Since then different types of coriander have been spreading throughout the world like wildfires. Coriander entered the South-East Asian market via two routes: forms with ovoid fruits arrived from India, while forms with small, globular fruits arrived later from China. Forms with enormous, globular fruits were just recently imported from the Mediterranean or Europe.

It was said that the Romans introduced the species into Britain where it was used for different culinary as well as medical purposes. Likewise, it was already introduced to the French people by the 17th century. 

Other FAQs about Herbs that you may be interested in.

Is coriander good for kidney stones?

Can we drink coriander seed water at night?

Is coriander good for hormonal imbalance?

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we have addressed the query, “What is the local name for coriander?” We have also discussed the scientific name for coriander, where the name coriander came from, and what coriander is called in India. 

Moreover, we have also described the reason coriander is called Chinese parsley and where it originated from along with its introduction and spread throughout the world.

Citations

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/15300