Mid-month: Herbs, Spices and condiments

Very much as the beginning of the month posting about what's in season, I decided to create a mid-month Herbs, Spices & Condiments.

What I like about this topic is how Herbs, Spices & Condiments affects the palette of the cooking as well as the healing powers they have. The smell alone can fill a room with aromas from the past, tastes that grow you hungry, memories from childhood and experiences you may never forget. How often do we go somewhere and tell ourselves or publicly how a smell reminds us of some past times. To start with this section I was debating between an herb and a condiment. I finally decided for an herb I grew up with, not only for its sweet and strong smell as well as for the fact that many people feel that once the cold weather arrives, they have to deal with dry herbs only and that is farm from the case. With Christmas approaching, what better present than to create a mini herbs garden in small pots to your friends or family? So the choice for this month is: 

CILANTRO
ITS STORY

Also known as Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) it  is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. It is also known as Chinese parsley. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 cm [20 in.] tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer (5–6 mm) than those pointing towards it (only 1–3 mm long). The fruit is a globular dry schizocarp 3–5 mm diameter.
The word derives from Latin “coriandrum” in turn from Greek “κορίαννον”. The Mycenaean Greek form of the word, koriadnon is "similar to the name of Minos' daughter Ariadne, and it is plain how this might later evolve to koriannon or koriandron."

Archaeological and linguistic evidence indicate that the plant, likely a Mediterranean native, was widely cultivated throughout that region, the Middle East, and South Asia by the second millennium B.C. and possibly even earlier.

Nowadays just about anyone who grew up in the diverse culinary traditions of Latin America, the Caribbean, Portugal, northern Africa, the Middle East, the South Asian subcontinent, and most of Asia, cilantro tastes like home.
ITS SMELLS, SCENTS AND TASTES
Can be described as:  tangy, fresh, summery, earthy, , exotic, clean, alive, smooth, grassy, healthy, and savory. Cilantro leaves have pungent smell described by some as "soapy" The stems also have a strong odour and flavour.
CULINARY USES
They are often sprinkled like parsley on cooked dishes, minced or puréed in sauces, soups and curries.
HEALING POWERS
Cilantro is considered an aid to the digestive system.  It is an appetite stimulant and aids in the secretion of gastric juices.
The essential oils of the cilantro leaves contain antibacterial properties and can be used as a fungicide.  Rich in vitamin C.

GROWING CILANTRO INDOORS
When you grow cilantro indoors start with seeds or starter plants. Ultimately, make sure that your plants are 3 – 4 inches apart. It is best to use an unglazed terra cotta container when growing cilantro inside because it allows for greater moisture and air to pass through the plant. Make sure that you have plenty of drainage holes in the bottom of the container so that water can pass through when watering.

Cilantro growing indoors needs more nutrition because the root system range is limited, and can’t access as much soil for nutrients as it would in your garden. The soil when planting cilantro indoors should be a mixture of potting soil and sand to allow water to move more freely. In addition, you can use a fertilizer of liquid fish emulsion or chemical formulation of 20-20-20 to add additional nutrients. Use 1/2 concentrations of the fertilizers bi-weekly during the active growing periods.

Thorough watering is more important than frequent watering when growing cilantro inside. Water the plants until the water comes out the drainage holes in the bottom of the container. Check the soil frequently, but cilantro growing indoors should only be watered when the soil is dry to the touch. This will be more often in the summer months.

To grow cilantro indoors, it is important that the plant have full sun 4 – 5 hours per day. If you also use a growing light, growing the cilantro inside will be more successful.

When you grow cilantro indoors, it is important to harvest it with care. Indoor herbs naturally reach for the light, and can therefore become spindly. Pinch them at the growing tips to force a bushier plant.

Keep in mind when planting cilantro indoors that it will grow less abundantly than when grown outside in your garden. However, with added care and attention to sun exposure, soil mixture, moisture and gentle harvesting, you will be rewarded with this flavorful and aromatic herb year round.

For this posting I grabbed information from the following links:
wikipedia.org
www.culinate.com
www.gardeningknowhow.com