How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Calms the Immune System & Rashes

Cilantro is a traditional remedy for rashes like summer poison-ivy, allergy related hives, or even just a sunburn. It is hypoallergenic due to natural anti-histamine, meaning it directly calms the immune system. To make a topical remedy for sunburn or rash, take a bunch of cilantro and put it in a blender. Strain the juice from the pulp. Apply pulp to your rash and drink the juice.

Cooling Digestive

Similar to lime, cilantro often appears as a garnish on a spicy dish. It's cooling nature takes the edge off a hot curry or green chili sauce. You will appreciate its fresh taste cutting through any heavy, spicy dish. Cilantro aids digestion, acts as a carminative preventing gas, and burns ama (residue and waste products). There is some dispute whether cilantro is useful for chelation, the removal of heavy metals from the blood stream.

Drying & Detoxifying

It also softens stool, and is a diuretic that clears inflammation from the urinary tract. Despite its drying effect, cilantro in small quantities does not aggravate Vata or cause constipation.

Cilantro Phobia

To some people, cilantro tastes 'soapy' or 'buggy'. Harold McGee, in this NY Times article, "Cilantro Haters, It's Not Your Fault," writes that the Greek origin of the word "coriander" means bedbug. To the ancient Greeks, cilantro smelled like "bug infested clothes." Flavor chemists have identified the source of the revulsion to the presence of aldehydes similar to those found in soaps and certain insects. Crushing the leaves releases enzymes that break down aldehydes and destroy the 'soapy' or 'buggy' odor of cilantro. We recommend it crushed in a mortar and pestle, chopped or served as a pesto.

Fresh cilantro is the herb of choice for aggravated Pitta. Cilantro calms pitta directly in the liver & improves eyesight.

About Cilantro

Cilantro is the leaf of the coriander seed. Both the leaves and the seeds have citrus overtones. Cilantro, as a cooling herb, pairs well with hot spicy dishes.

Recipes with Cilantro: Curried Plantains Quesadilla

Buying & Preparation

Cilantro's native range extends from Southern Eruope and North Africa to southwestern Asia. Cilantro rots quickly if stored in a plastic bag, and dries out quickly if stored in a paper bag. The solution is a plastic bag kept slightly open lined with a paper towel. Make sure you peel away the dying leaves - they turn to slime and will rot the whole bunch!

Recipes with Cilantro: Lemongrass Carrot Soup

Cooking Cilantro

The leaves spoil quickly when picked and lose their aroma when dried. Heat diminishes the flavor of cilantro quickly. Thus cilantro is commonly used as a raw garnish in Latin American and Asian cuisine. It is commonly used on top of curries and dals, in salsas or guacamole.Browse Recipes