Thursday, May 31, 2007

Herbs: Coriander leaves, coriander roots and Laos coriander




In Asia, Africa and Latin America Coriander leaves (Cilantro)
are a very popular and peppering herb .
In Thailand one calls the Coriander "Pak Tschi" or "Pak Ji"
and it occurs in innumerable Thai recipes.
Coriander looks similar to parsley,
the leaves are more softly and have an incomparable smell.

Use:
Coriander leaves are added at the end of the cooking time
and should not be cooked,
since then the very aromatic taste and smell evaporate.
In Thailand Coriander leaves and spring onions are roughly chopped
and strewn briefly before serving over the dish.



A relative of the Coriander, although its look is completely different,
is the "Laos Koriander", "Farang Koriander" or "saw leaf herb".
Home of this spice herb is on the Caribbean islands,
where it is frequently used in Puerto Rico.
It is cultivated also in Southeast Asia
(Laos, Burma, Thailand, Kambodscha, Viet Nam, Malaysia and Indonesia)
and finds use in the national kitchens.
Laos Koriander is more intensive from the smell and taste than "normal" Coriander.

Its leaves are harder and can also be cooked.
In Viet Nam, and/or authentic vietnamese restaurants
one hands to many dishes a basket with fresh herbs, like:
Laos Coriander, Coriander, Horapa (Thai Basil) and Mint.


Particularly in Thailand also the Coriander roots are used in the kitchen.
Mostly with the preparation of soups Coriander roots are added,
which before got a hit with the tappet of a mortar.
Thai people say because of the smell, but the roots are not eaten.
In addition, with the preparation of Curry paste Coriander roots are used.

2 comments:

Dori said...

Coriander...my favorite!!!!

Unknown said...

Hey just found your blog.. very excited as I love love love Thai cuisine! I have a blog of Gluten Free foods and Thai is one of the easiest meals to adjust to be gluten free. Looking forward to reading more.

Cheers,
Gluten Free Suzi

Gluten Free Living