Coriander/Chinese Parsley - History
 It is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean area, and in southwest
Europe. Some believe its use began as far back as 5,000 BC, and there is
evidence of its use by the ancient Egyptians. In the Bible, Exodus, chapter 16,
verse 31, it says "And the house of Israel called the name there of Manna: and
it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with
honey".
Thought to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans as a meat preserver,
coriander seems to have been cultivated in Greece since at least the 2nd
millennium BC. In Linear B tablets, the species is referred to as being
cultivated for the manufacture of perfumes, and it appears that it was used in
two forms: as a spice for its seeds and as a herb for the flavour of its leaves.
This appears to be confirmed by archaeological evidence from the same period:
the large quantities of the species retrieved from an Early Bronze Age layer at
Sitagroi in Macedonia could point to cultivation of the species at that time (Fragiska,
2005).
Coriander seed and leaf was very widely used in medieval European cuisine, due
to its ability to make spoiled meats palatable by "masking" rotten flavours.
Even today, coriander seed is an important ingredient in many sausage products.
Coriander was brought to the British colonies in North America in 1670 and was
one of the first spices cultivated by early settlers. |
