Coriander Seeds

Overview

Scientific Name: Coriandrum sativum

Plant Part: Fruit

Other Names: Cilantro, Chinese parsley, Mexican parsley, Dhania, Kasbara

The coriander plant is a herb belonging to the Apiaceae family similar to parsley, carrot, and celery. Like carom seeds, cumin, dill, and fennel the plant produces flowers in the form of umbels.

The plant can grow to about 50 cm tall and can take 4 to 6 months to mature after it is first sown to extract its seeds. Coriander seeds are the fruits, that emerge from seed pods soon after the plant produces little white flowers.

The taste of coriander seeds can be described as citrusy, earthy, and woody, very different from coriander leaves which can be described as fresh citrusy, and pungent.

History of Coriander Seeds

Coriander seeds are believed to have originated in southern Europe and the Medetaranian region some 8000 years ago. Coriander’s name is believed to have derived from the Greek word koriannon (bug), a derivative of the Greek koros (insect), and the full botanical name calls coriander “the cultivated buggy-smelling plant”.

Coriander was known as far back as 5000 BC and is mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 16:31. Referred to as manna or food that fell from heaven to feed the Israelites on their journey out of Egypt.

The use of coriander seeds at burials was recorded in 1550 BC, inside the tomb of Egyptian King Tut-ankh-Amon.

Some other written accounts about coriander seeds include that of a Roman generalist by the name of Pliny. He wrote that the best coriander was to be found in Egypt and that the seeds were prepared as antidotes for snake bite. Pliny also wrote that crushed coriander seeds mixed with honey were used to treat burns, carbuncles, and diseased testes, and if mother’s milk was added, the mixture could cure eye disease.

Similarly, an ancient Greek physician Hippocrates recommended the use of coriander as a medicine for digestive, urinary, and respiratory disorders.

The Chinese have cultivated coriander since the fourth century, and its use in India back to early times with written Sanskrit text from about 7000 years ago referring to coriander as a herb found commonly growing in gardens.

And the Romans were responsible for bringing coriander to Britain somewhere early in the bronze age.

Harvesting and Post Harvesting Practices

After about 4 to 5 months of planting the seedlings, coriander seeds are formed inside seed pods that appear on the plant once the flowers appear. The pods are first green and as time goes by, these pods turn brown in colour, this is an indication of the coriander seeds being ready for harvesting.

The plants are manually pulled out of the ground and kept in stacks for drying. Once dried, the seeds are removed from the plant either manually or by using mechanical threshers.

Once removed, further processing is done which includes the cleaning and grading of the seeds based on size and colour,

Our Supply Chain

The Sabor Co. is currently importing coriander seeds from India. We procure our produce directly from marginal farmers in the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The produce is then processed in a facility based in New Delhi, India.

Cleaning, sorting, UV or steam sterilisation, and packaging are all done while maintaining the highest safety and hygiene standards. We also provide complete farm-level traceability for our lots of coriander seeds including farmer details, farm location, harvesting date, and farm inputs.

For further information on the farm locations, formats grades, and varietals of coriander seeds that we offer, please follow the links below.

The country’s annual production of coriander seeds in 2023 was over 847 thousand metric tons, with Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan being the top three producing states. Read more

Wholesale and stockist enquiries including product information, specifications, stock availability and pricing.