Coriander Powder: Flavor, Uses, and Coriander vs Cilantro

What is coriander powder?

Coriander is a leafy herb in the Apiaceae (carrot and parsley) family. People use nearly every part of it, but the two that matter in the kitchen are the fresh leaves and the dried seeds (Al-Khayri et al., Molecules, 2023). What we call coriander "seed" is technically the plant's small dried fruit. The FDA's spice guidelines describe it as the dried ripe seed: round, yellowish-brown, with a lightly fragrant smell and a pleasant aromatic taste. Grind those seeds and you have coriander powder, sometimes sold as ground coriander or dhania powder.

Coriander vs cilantro: same plant, different names

Names change depending on where you are, which causes a lot of recipe confusion.

• In the U.S., "cilantro" means the fresh leaves and "coriander" usually means the seed or the powder.
• In many recipes written outside the U.S., the leaves are called coriander too, so check whether a recipe says "fresh" or "ground."
• In Spanish, cilantro is the name of the whole plant. The Real Academia Española dictionary defines it as an aromatic herb with small aromatic seeds. So a Spanish recipe asking for the seed will say semilla de cilantro, and the ground spice is still seed, not leaf.
• In Indian recipes, coriander often goes by dhania.

The flavors differ because the chemistry does. Oil from the seeds is mostly linalool, usually 60 to 80 percent, which gives a sweet, warm, floral taste. Oil from the leaves is dominated by aliphatic aldehydes, which give it a sharper, less pleasant smell (Al-Khayri et al., 2023). Those aldehydes are also why some people think cilantro tastes like soap. A genetic study of more than 14,000 people linked that soapy perception to a variant near a cluster of smell receptor genes, including one, OR6A2, that responds to several of cilantro's aldehydes. Genes explained only a small share of the difference between people, though (Eriksson et al., 2012). If you dislike cilantro leaves, there is a good chance you will still enjoy coriander seed.

Whole seed vs coriander powder vs fresh leaves

One swap rule: never substitute fresh cilantro for coriander powder or the other way around. They are not interchangeable.

How to use coriander powder

Coriander powder is mild enough to use generously, and it rounds out stronger spices rather than competing with them.

• Curries, dals and stews. It is the first ingredient in our organic curry powder and one of six in our garam masala. Add a teaspoon or two to the onions and oil at the start of cooking.
• Mexican and Latin cooking. Coriander seed shows up in seasoning blends such as our organic adobo, alongside cumin, garlic, oregano and chipotle.
• Soups, salads and dressings. A pinch of ground seed brightens lentil soup, carrot soup or a lemony vinaigrette.
• Rubs and roasts. Mix it with cumin, black pepper, salt and a little brown sugar for chicken, pork or roasted carrots.
• Pickles and brines. Whole seeds are a classic pickling spice (Al-Khayri et al., 2023).

Toast and grind your own

Fresh-ground coriander tastes noticeably livelier than a jar that has sat for a year, because its aroma lives in volatile oils that escape over time. Grinding itself loses some. In one lab study, cumin ground while frozen kept a third or more extra volatile oil compared with ordinary milling (Sharma et al., Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2016).

1. Put whole coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Stir or shake for 2 to 3 minutes, until they smell toasty and turn a shade darker. Don't let them smoke.
3. Cool them on a plate, then grind in a spice or coffee grinder reserved for spices.
4. Grind only what you'll use in the next few weeks.

Toasting is about flavor. Researchers who roasted coriander, cumin and related seeds saw browning (Maillard) reactions and a drop in antioxidant activity (Serag et al., RSC Advances, 2019), so don't toast for health reasons.

Freshness, storage and substitutes

Store coriander powder in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place, which is the USDA's general advice for shelf-stable foods such as spices. Ground spices fade even when kept cold: ground black pepper stored six months in the refrigerator lost essential oil in one study (Liu et al., Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2018). If the powder smells faint, use more or replace it.

Out of coriander powder? Ground cumin is the closest pantry swap but is earthier and stronger, so start with less. In a curry, curry powder or garam masala can fill in, since both already contain coriander.

Is coriander good for you?

Coriander is used in small amounts, so it adds flavor more than nutrition. Lab and animal research on coriander is active, and a 2021 review of its heart-related effects found that most of the evidence came from animal studies, with very few human trials (Mahleyuddin et al., Molecules, 2021). It is generally recognized as safe as a food by the FDA. The NIH's LactMed database notes that coriander is sometimes sold to increase breast milk supply but that no valid clinical trials support this, and that allergic reactions, light sensitivity and skin irritation have been reported.

Find it at William's

We sell coriander both ways, by weight, so you can buy a small amount and keep it fresh.

• Organic coriander seed powder, sold by weight: ready to use in curries, rubs and blends.
• Organic coriander seed, sold by weight: whole seeds for toasting, grinding and pickling.
• Organic curry powder, sold by weight: a salt-free blend that leads with coriander and turmeric.
• Organic garam masala, sold by weight: coriander with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and white pepper. See our garam masala guide.

Interested in the essential oil from the seed? Read our coriander oil guide, or browse more kitchen staples in our spices and seasonings guide.

Frequently Asked Questions