If you’re into Asian cuisine, coriander in all its variants has a prominent role. It’s a known fact that your pantry is a treasure trove for your skin. And coriander can do wonders for your skin, from boosting your sunscreen to lifting dark spots, fighting zits, and balancing your skin.
Scroll on to find out why coriander is taking over the beauty world. No, seriously, not only Asian, but also Western brands such as Aesop or Kiehl’s incorporate it into everything: face packs, body oils, hand creams, shampoos, and the list goes on.
A little bit of background
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is part of the family Apiaceae. This annual herb is related to well-known and priced plants such as
Anis
Celery
Carrot
Cumin
Fennel
Parsley
It also goes by Chinese parsley, dhania, or cilantro. Every part of the plant can be eaten but you mostly encounter the fresh leaves and the dried seeds. Both are used in cooking.
Coriander leaves can a hit and miss as a spice for some people. Most people love its aroma and describe it as floral, citrusy, fresh. But for about a quarter, they perceive the leaves to taste like soap with a pungent smell. It’s either they completely hate it or sprinkle them everywhere.
The environment or culture in which you grow up has a strong influence for this. In cultures where coriander is popular in their cuisine, the portion of people who dislike coriander is much lower. So, it looks like if you’re not exposed to coriander, eating it can be an acquired taste.
Another reason is that coriander contains the aroma compound linalool. It’s a naturally occurring substance found in many herbs, but many cleaning agents also contain it. So, instead of linking coriander to food and spices, it’s associated with soap.
Coriander is widely spread. It’s native to Southern Europe all the way to Northern Africa and South Asia.
The word coriander comes from Ancient Greek. It’s said it comes from the Ancient Greek word koris – bed bug because of its smell.
Uses
All parts of the coriander plant are edible but have their own distinct taste and flavour. When a recipe says use coriander leaves, you can’t substitute it with the seeds or roots or you’ll change the taste of your dish.
Fresh coriander leaves are most commonly used in kitchens around the world. It’s not cooked but added fresh or sprinkled raw on top of the dishes just before serving because heat reduces their flavour and aroma.
What’s commonly called coriander seeds are the dried fruits. When a recipe says to add coriander without anything, it refers not to the plant as a whole but the coriander “seeds”. The seeds have a strong citrusy almost sweet and floral aroma. But when you road the coriander seeds, the floral and citrusy scent fades, instead they smell warm and nutty. The roasted and ground seeds are combined with other spices such as cumin to make garam marsala, Malay and Indonesian curry pastes.
The roots are also great to spice up dishes. They bring a deeper and more intense flavour than the leaves and are used in many Asian cuisines, most famous are Thai dishes such as soups or curry pasts.
Apart from its culinary uses, coriander was also used in traditional medicines such as in Ayurveda or Chinese Medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses the leaves and seeds for different purposes. Coriander leaf is categorised as having a warm temperature. Coriander seeds are considered to be neutral in temperature.
For the ancient Egyptians, coriander seeds were priced as key to strengthening their immune system. They were also used as antidotes for snake bites. Archaeologists found coriander seeds inside the tomb of Egyptian King Tut-ankh-Amon.
Why you should use coriander
Fresh coriander leaves are a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. The seeds too contain vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals but their nutritional profile differs from the leaves.
The leaves are a particular rich source of
- Vitamin K
- Precursor vitamin A (beta carotene and lutein zeaxanthin)
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin B6 (folate)
The vitamin content is lower in the seeds but they’re an excellent source of
- Dietary fibre
- Calcium
- Selenium
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
Both the leaves and seeds contain polyphenols and terpenes, including linalool that makes the flavour of coriander. The compounds found in both the leaves and seeds give them antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory.
Stop the watch or even turn back the time
It doesn’t always have to be the newest and most shiny thing for skin care. If you want to keep your skin firm and bouncy, you want to stop or slow the activities of the enzymes that break down collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid in your skin. These enzymes are
- Collagenase
- Elastase
- Hyaluronidase
According a recent study, coriander essential oil shows that it could effectively curb the activities of the enzymes collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase, as well as tyrosinase. The last enzyme is involved in making the pigment melanin and limiting its activities means it helps fade dark spots. Take the study with a grain of salt though, because it’s done with coriander essential oil.
Still, as coriander leaves are an excellent source of vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene and lutein zeaxanthin, they help delay the onset of wrinkles and reduce fine lines.
Fade dark spots
If you take the study that researched how coriander essential oil can delay the onset of signs of ageing, coriander also has the potential to curb the enzyme tyrosinase. As tyrosinase is involved in melanin synthesis, dampening its activities means with time, dark spots are lifted.
But you don’t have to rely on the essential oil, particularly if you’re skin tends to be sensitive, you can just use the leaves. The coriander leaves contain high levels of vitamin C which is a classic ingredient to lift dark spots.
Boost your SPF
Both coriander leaves and seeds contain antioxidants which are helpful in neutralising free radicals. When you’re exposed to the sun, UV rays trigger a chain reaction with free radicals that lead to photodamage. A study found that coriander leaf extract protects against UVB damage but not UVA. As a short refresher, UVB is what causes sunburns but UVA is what leads to ageing.
Treat rashes and sunburns
Thanks to its polyphenols and terpenes, coriander smells lovely but it’s also this mixture that makes it anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. You can use both the leaves and seeds to treat rashes and sunburn; or alleviate any redness and swelling that are the side effects of zits. Being anti-bacterial, coriander is also an ally in keeping zits at bay.
Bottom line
You can use coriander leaves and seeds to spice up your dishes but coriander goes well beyond food. It combats free radicals and balances oil production in your skin as well as soothes any redness.
A word of caution: As with almost any food, some people might act to it.
