Botanical Name - Coriandrum sativum Category - Spices Form - Dry Part Used - Leaves General Information - Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is a glabrous, aromatic, herbaceous annual herb belonging to the family Apiaceae1. It is commonly known as Dhaniya in Hindi, Dhanya in Sanskrit and Kotthamalli in Tamil. Coriander is one of the oldest spices mentioned in recorded history, with evidence of its use more than 5000 years ago. Its use was mentioned in Egyptian, Sanskrit and Roman literature. Egyptians called this herb the spice of happiness2. The coriander seeds are one of the most important spices in the world and are regularly used in the Indian Kitchen. The herb as young plants is used to prepare curry, soups, salads, and sauces, whereas the fruit is mainly used as a seasoning for pickles, cold meats, confectionery products and seasoning mixtures3,4. It is the most widely consumed popular ingredient in the world as a domestic spice, a traditional medicine, and a flavoring agent5. Coriander is available throughout the year providing a fragrant flavor that is reminiscent of both citrus peel and sage. Its essential oil is used in pharmaceutical recipes and as a fragrance in cosmetics6,7. In addition to culinary value, coriander is known for its wide range of healing properties. It is generally used in gastrointestinal complaints such as anorexia, dyspepsia, flatulence, diarrhea, griping pain and vomiting. Coriander fruit is also reputed as refrigerant, tonic, diuretic, and aphrodisiac, while, its essential oil is considered useful in flatulent colic, rheumatism, neuralgia, etc. Coriander is also used as antiedemic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, emmenagogue, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, lipolytic and myorelaxant, and possess nerve- soothing property8. Coriander is used to flavour several alcoholic beverages like gin9 Phytochemicals - The chemical composition of coriander revealed that the linalool was 72.3 and 77.7 %, while �±-pinene was 5.9 and 4.4 %, �³-terpinene 4.7 and 5.6 %, camphor 4.6 and 2.4 %, limonene 2.0 and 0.9 %, in Argentinean and European coriander, respectively44. The essential oil from New Zealand contained linalool, �±-pinene, �³-terpinene, camphor and limonene in the concentration of 65.8, 6.8, 6.1, 5.1, and 2.7 %, respectively45. In Russian coriander seed essential oil, linalool constitutes about 68.0 % of oil46. Hence we can conclude that linalool was the main compound in the coriander seed essential oil.