THE CHINESE HERB GARDEN - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 137

Coriander was used in Egyptian cookery 3,000 years ago; natives of Mexico and
South America have long eaten it extensively. It is absolutely essential if you wish to
prepare authentic Chinese dishes. Chinese cookbooks describe it as aromatic and delic-
ately scented.
At the market, a bunch of cilantro looks a lot like a bunch of flat-leaved Italian pars-
ley. The flavor is unique, however, and bears no resemblance to Italian parsley. You can
also distinguish the two by their smell, as cilantro has a much stronger smell than pars-
ley when you rub a leaf.
Like most herbs, coriander has an ancient history, with a rich vein of mythology. It
was used in love potions and as a general aphrodisiac. It is one of the herbs mentioned
in the Bible, in Exodus and in Numbers, where manna is described as “white like cori-
ander seed.”
Appearance
Cilantro is a pretty plant with lacy, flat sprays of white to palest lavender flowers. It
grows about 2 feet tall and has leaves of two different shapes. The bottom leaves look
something like Italian parsley; the top leaves are much more deeply cut and feathery.
DID YOU KNOW?
Coriander flowers attract beneficial insects. Though cutting flower buds prolongs your harvest of the
leaves, plant enough so you can let some plants bloom and go to seed. You'll enjoy the pretty flowers,
and you'll attract pollinators and other beneficial insects to your garden.
How to Grow
Getting started. You can plant cilantro any time from early spring through late summer.
It takes about 50 days to produce a good crop of leaves and 90 to 105 days to produce
seeds, so you don't need to start seeds indoors. Transplanted seedlings usually bolt earli-
er than plants sown in place, so there's no particular advantage to starting seeds indoors.
Coriander grows best in full sun, though it will take a little shade. In hot climates, it
actually grows better with a little shade. Ordinary garden soil is fine. You can also enjoy
cilantro year-round by growing it indoors. It does very well in a container on a sunny
windowsill.
Planting. Barely cover the seeds with soil and sow ½ inch apart. Thin to stand 4 to 6
inches apart when the seedlings have six to eight true leaves. The thinnings make good
eating in a tossed salad. For a continuous supply of the leaves, sow small batches every
few weeks.