What Is Chinese Parsley

Cilantro, the leaves of Chinese parsley, is found in many of cuisines around the world.

Chinese parsley is an herb in the carrot family. Its use for medicinal purposes as well as a seasoning in Egypt, India and China dates back thousands of years. Its leaves are the herb commonly called cilantro. The plant grows rapidly and quickly goes to seed. Its seeds, known as coriander, have a different flavor than its leaves and stems; they are roasted, ground and used as a spice. Whole coriander acts as a pickling spice. Chinese parsley and its seeds are used in a wide variety of cuisines.

Asian Cuisine

Cilantro is heavily used in Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese cooking. It is an important ingredient in sauces, soups, dim sum and main dishes such as stir-frys, and it is also used as a garnish. Coriander is a main ingredient in green curries, particularly in Thai cuisine.

Mexican Cuisine

Cilantro is also known as Mexican parsley; it is used extensively in Mexican cooking, and it is an integral flavor of the unique hybrid of American, Mexican and European cooking known as Tex-Mex cuisine. It is used in salsas, soups, meat dishes such as carnitas, salads and burritos.

African and Middle Eastern Cuisine

Chinese parsley was mentioned in Egyptian papyrus written in 1552 BC and is still used today in such dishes as Egyptian brown bean stews, rice dishes, falafel and the roasted and spiced nut mixture known as Dukkahis. Coriander is combined with garlic in the commonly-used Arab spice mixture taklia and in the North African red pepper sauce called harissa.

Indian Cuisine

Cilantro leaves are used in Indian chutneys and curries, in dishes such as malai kafta, or fried cottage cheese dumplings, and in the fillings of vegetable samosas. Roasted and ground coriander seeds are a staple in Indian cooking, particularly in the seasoning mixture called garam masala. Roasted coriander seeds are even eaten as a snack.

European Uses of Chinese Parsley

Chinese parsley grows wild in Southeastern Europe. Coriander seeds are used as a flavoring agent for pickling vegetables and as a spice in soups, stews, ratatouille and sausages such as Italian mortadella. It is an ingredient in some beers, such as Belgian witbier and German hefeweizen, and can be found in some rye breads of Central Europe and Russia.

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