One of the oldest herbs dating back to more than 7000 years, Coriander is among the very few things with the power to unite a diverse and vast country like India. As you travel across the country, you find it everywhere in with different names such as Kothmir, Dhaniya, Danika, and Kostombir but with the same love.
This herb isn’t just limited to the flavour it adds to our food but also the medicinal properties it comes with. Coriander seeds, coriander leaves, and coriander juice are said to be the best body balancers because coriander is a great stomach healer. It also helps lowering high blood sugar, and high cholesterol levels, and helps fight infections. What makes this herb so special and an indispensable part of Indian cuisine is also the variety of ways it is used in a variety of foods.
From its roots to seeds, to its leaves, and stems, coriander becomes a part of stocks and soups and sauces and curries and nihari. While the stems are used in the most common braises and leaves for garnishing! Root-to-fruit- a term global term used frequently by Indian chefs refers to a herb whose roots, stems, leaves and seeds are used in a variety of dishes. However, the plant coriander rarely ever receives recognition in today’s root-to-fruit culture.
It’s not just a herb but a thread that not just unites India but India with other countries. Considering its power and place in India, the question that arises is, has coriander received the recognition it deserves? It’s time that this plant which has been associated with us for centuries to be made an essential part of our identity and get the love officially expressed by being identified as our national herb. Let’s All Call for Signing a Petition for Coriander to be Our National Herb!