--- title: "Cilantro: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Cilantro is the fresh leaves and stems of the coriander plant, bright and citrusy. In the UK, Australia and India it is called fresh coriander." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/cilantro" --- # Cilantro Cilantro is the fresh leaves and stems of the coriander plant, bright and citrusy. In the UK, Australia and India it is called fresh coriander. Also called Coriander leaves, Fresh coriander, Coriander, Chinese parsley, Dhania, Koriander. Cilantro is the leaves and tender stems of the coriander plant. It has a bright, citrusy, grassy taste and is used fresh in Mexican, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern and Latin American cooking. The dried, round seeds of the same plant are the spice coriander, which tastes quite different: warm and lemony-floral. ## How to use it The names can be confusing: * Cilantro in the US and Canada, from the Spanish name. Coriander in the US means the seeds. * Coriander, fresh coriander or coriander leaves in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The seeds are called coriander seeds. * Chinese parsley in some older American and Asian recipes. * _Dhania_ in India. Fresh leaves may be called _hara dhania_. * _Koriander_ in Sweden and Germany. A Swedish recipe saying "färsk koriander" means the leaves. Unlike most herbs, the stems are tender and full of flavor. [Chop](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chop) them finely with the leaves. In Thai cooking the roots are pounded into curry pastes. Cilantro's flavor fades with heat. Add it at the end, or scatter it as a [garnish](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/garnish). It is part of many salsas, [ceviche](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ceviche) and green chutneys, and finishes many [curries](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/curry). ## Substitutes Nothing tastes the same. Flat-leaf parsley with a little lime zest gives the color and freshness. Thai basil or mint work in some Southeast Asian dishes. ## How to store it Trim the stems and stand the [bunch](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bunch) in a glass with 2 to 3 cm of water. Cover loosely with a bag and keep it in the fridge. Change the water every couple of days. It lasts about a week this way. ## Common mistakes * Cooking it for a long time. It loses its taste and turns dull. * Using ground coriander seed when a recipe from the UK or India says "coriander" and means the leaves. Check whether it says "chopped" or "ground". * Chopping it wet. Dry it first or it bruises and turns dark. ## In recipes You will see "a handful of cilantro, chopped", "a small bunch of fresh coriander" and "chopped coriander, to garnish". Some people find cilantro tastes like soap. That is partly genetic. For them, parsley is the better choice. ## Recipes that use it 344 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Arroz-Con-Camarones-12.jpg)Shrimp and Rice (Arroz Con Camarones)www.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/shrimp-and-rice-arroz-con-camarones/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Shrimp-Fajitas-13.jpg)Shrimp Fajitaswww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/shrimp-fajitas/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Chili-_-Lime-Air-Fryer-Salmon-6.jpg)Chili-Lime Air Fryer Salmonwww.skinnytaste.com · 15 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/chili-lime-air-fryer-salmon/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Huevos-Rancheros-8.jpg)Huevos Rancheros Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 15 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/huevos-rancheros/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Cauliflower-Rice-Chicken-Biryani-1-1.jpg)Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryaniwww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/cauliflower-rice-chicken-biryani/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Avocado-Quinoa-Salad-4.jpg)Avocado Quinoa Saladwww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/avocado-quinoa-salad/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/canned-tuna-fish-ceviche.jpg)Canned Tuna Cevichewww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/canned-tuna-ceviche/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/beef-potato-quinoa-soup.jpg)Beef, Potato and Quinoa Soupwww.skinnytaste.com · 120 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/beef-potato-and-quinoa-soup/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/Pico-de-Gallo-8.jpg)Pico de Gallo Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 5 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/pico-de-gallo-salsa-0-pts/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Pineapple-Shrimp-Fried-Rice-10.jpg)Pineapple Shrimp Fried Ricewww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/pineapple-shrimp-fried-rice/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TurmericGarlicShrimpwithCabbageMangoSlaw.jpg)Turmeric Garlic Shrimp with Cabbage-Mango Slawwww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/turmeric-garlic-shrimp-with-cabbage/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Turmeric-Roasted-Sweet-Potato-and-Macadamia-Soup-1-3.jpg)Turmeric Roasted Sweet Potato and Macadamia Soupwww.skinnytaste.com · 80 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/turmeric-roasted-sweet-potato-and-macadamia-soup/) ## Related terms * [BunchA bunch is fresh herbs or vegetables sold tied together. Sizes vary from shop to shop, so here is roughly how much a recipe means by one.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bunch) * [ChopTo chop is to cut food into small pieces of roughly the same size, without the exact shape of a dice. Recipes say roughly, coarsely or finely chopped.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chop) * [GarnishA garnish is a small edible finish added to a dish just before serving, such as herbs, citrus zest or toasted seeds, to add flavor, texture and color.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/garnish) * [CevicheCeviche is raw fish firmed up in lime juice with onion, chili and cilantro. See how long to marinate it, which fish to use, and why acid is not heat.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ceviche) * [CurryA curry is a spiced dish of meat, fish or vegetables in a sauce, from South Asia and beyond. See how to build one, from frying spices to the final simmer.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/curry) * [Salsa verdeSalsa verde means green sauce. The Italian kind is herbs, capers, anchovy and oil; the Mexican kind is tomatillos and chili. Here is how to make both.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/salsa-verde) [More in regional names](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/regional-names)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)