 BOTANY: Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is a relatively easy to grow annual, requiring partial shade to full sun, moderately rich soil, and good drainage. Because it attracts bees, it is a welcome addition to any garden. It grows quickly and re-seeds itself easily, producing delicate white to lavender flowers in an umbrella-like shape..
the Umbelliferae family, which includes carrots and parsley, cilantro is one of the more fragile herbs, with its delicate, lacy foliage reminiscent of flat leaf parsley. The leaves do not dry well and should be used fresh.
HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY: Coriander has been found in Egyptian tombs dating back 3000 years. It is even mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 16:31, where manna is described as "small round and white like coriander seed." The ancient Hebrews originally used cilantro root as the bitter herb in the symbolic Passover meal.
Thanks to the Romans and their conquests, cilantro's use and legend spread to Europe and Asia, where it appeared in recipes for potions used as aphrodisiacs in China during the Han dynasty (207 BC-200 AD). The Romans themselves used coriander with cumin and vinegar as a preservative which they rubbed into meat.
In literature, coriander is mentioned as an aphrodisiac in The Tales of the Arabian Nights. And those famous sugarplums which fill children's dreams at Christmas time were originally sugar coated coriander, a treat that offered a sweet start and then a spicy burst of flavour. Later the recipe included small bits of fruit and became the confection we know today.
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