coriander seed

[sylvan]

Since coriander is the seed of cilantro plant, does the coriander seed have the same taste of cilantro?

[alkapal]

no, not to me; it is more savory, deeper.

do you hate cilantro?

[sylvan]

No, alkapal, I like cilantro....had it tonight in my tacos.

[Muchlove]

It's a very different flavour. You cannot substitute one for the other and you should not be afraid to try coriander seeds just because you don't like coriander leaves.

[sylvan]

Muchlove, I like coriander leaves (cilantro). I was just wondering if the seeds tasted the same since I'm not familiar with the seeds and don't know where to use them.

[JEN10]

Two different animals

[JungMann]

The seed has a flavor I would describe as bright, floral and slightly lemony, but overall mild. The herb tastes more piney, slightly soapy, green with citrus peel notes and overall more pungent.

[alkapal]

wow, jungmann, did you do that from memory? nice!!!!!!!!!
i'd love to go to a wine tasting with you, too! ;-)).

~~~~~~
but i've never gotten the "soapy" thing that many taste in the fresh cilantro leaves.

[JungMann]

I use coriander and cilantro very frequently at home, so it is an acute taste memory. Fresh cilantro leaves taste a lot pinier, but the stems and older leaves have a more pronounced soapy taste.

[missmasala]

You've totally nailed it!

[eight_inch_pestle]

JungMann covers it well, although personally I would describe the seed as more than just slightly lemony. The lemon notes always really hit me when smashing whole seeds in the mortar and pestle.

McGee on the soap science, or lack thereof: http://nyti.ms/rkyA3c

[Karl S]

No - different flavor compounds.

[Harters]

Very different flavour profile. I use coriander leaves and seeds fairly regularly and they are not really interchangeable in the way that you can easily swap, say, fennel leaves and seeds.

[alkapal]

harters, speaking of fennel fronds, i have never gotten much flavor from them -- maybe it is me. i do love the fennel bulbs, however, and i always try to incorporate fennel seeds (ground) into my red pasta sauces.

fennel fronds are something i would steam fish on top of...

[Stein the Fine]

Sorry to bump this, but I'd like to be more exact for someone who's never tasted the seed. Seems to me the flavor of coriander seed is similar to the taste of nutmeg w/o the bitterness and w/ a trace of lemon zest--clearly not remotely like the cilantro plant it comes from. I use the ground seed as a sweet-compatible spice to season winter squash, though I wouldn't use it in desserts as I do cardamom.

[Harters]

Roughly ground coriander seed is very good with baked squash - along with black pepper, cumin, a little dried chilli and olive oil.

[JungMann]

I made a recipe for coriander curried shortbread a couple Christmases ago and was surprised at how well coriander actually does work as a dessert seasoning. It is certainly more savory/sweet than a classical dessert, but it works.

[Spot]

I'd like to add that my wife has taken to adding freshly ground, toasted dried coriander seed (post-bolting-in-the-garden) to the flour we dust seafood with before sauteing, to delicious effect.

[alkapal]

that's a neat idea, spot!

spot on!

[Stein the Fine]

Ooooo. I can just taste (mentally) how wonderful it would be w/ shrimp, scallops, the rest of the crustaceans and perhaps monkfish---seafood that is naturally a bit sweet. Can you imagine a coriander-scented shrimp bisque?

In my very first do-alone kitchen garden, the most successful plants were coriander & Early Girl tomatoes. As long as you have full sun, coriander grows like a weed. It's a pleasure.