Coriander — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Coriander is a herbs available in New Zealand during September, October, November, December, January, February, March, peaking in October, November, December. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy coriander, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Love it or soap? It's genetic: a variation in olfactory receptor genes affects about 14% of people.
How to pick a good one
Bright green, no yellowing. The roots have the most intense flavour: wash and use in pastes and curries.
How to store it
Stems in water in fridge, loosely covered. Or damp paper towel.
Goes well with
lime: Coriander and lime is a combination that appears independently across Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese cooking. Lime's acid carries coriander's volatile aromatic compounds further. Together they create freshness.
chilli: Coriander's citrusy aromatic freshness contrasts with chilli's heat. Used together as a finish in dishes where the freshness of coriander is needed to cut through spice.
cumin: Coriander seed and cumin is a foundational spice pairing across Indian, North African, and Middle Eastern cooking. Fresh coriander leaf and cumin have a similar relationship -- the warm earthiness of cumin against the herb's bright freshness.
coconut: Coriander's citrusy sharpness cuts through coconut's richness. The combination appears in Thai and Indian cooking where both are structural ingredients.
avocado: Avocado's fat carries coriander's aromatic compounds and makes them more persistent. The combination is used in guacamole and across Latin American cooking as a fundamental pairing.
Recipes
Green Chutney
Indian. On everything.
Ingredients: big bunch coriander (leaves stems roots), 1 green chilli, 1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp yoghurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt
Method: Blend everything until smooth. Season.
Coriander & Lime Rice
Chipotle-style. Game changer side.
Ingredients: 1 cup rice (cooked), 1 lime (zest and juice), big handful coriander (chopped), 1 tbsp butter, salt
Method: Toss hot rice with butter, lime zest, lime juice, coriander, salt.
Coriander Pesto
The alternative pesto.
Ingredients: big bunch coriander, 50g cashews, 1 clove garlic, 1 green chilli, 1 lime (juice), 100ml olive oil, salt
Method: Blend everything. Use on noodles, grilled meat, fish, or as a dipping sauce.
Nutrition
One cup of fresh coriander provides 16% of your daily vitamin A and 10% of your vitamin K. Contains linalool, a compound being studied for anti-anxiety effects. Also contains dodecenal, a compound shown in lab studies to be twice as effective as gentamicin (an antibiotic) against Salmonella. About 1 calorie per cup.