Coriander: Coriandrum sativum L.: The Herb with Many Facets

The origin of coriander is the Eastern Mediterranean region and due to its adaptability it has spread to many parts of the world in the last 3000 years. Diverse cultures appreciate coriander as a spice and medicinal herb. The plant owes its name to its typical smell. In Greek, koris means bed bug and aneson anise, describes the scent of the ripe fruit. Coriander is variously referred to as Chinese parsley, Indian parsley or Asian parsley. That a plant, which at least smells quite peculiar in the immature stage, carries such importance must be related to its inner values. In fact, in many respects the coriander plant can have special ingredients which have increasingly become the focus of recent scientific investigations. It is the objective of this plant portrait to give a small insight into the various effects of the coriander plant.