Coriander

Coriander, known as cilantro for its leaves, is a dual-purpose herb loved across Egyptian kitchens. Its bright green, feathery foliage carries a fresh, citrusy aroma that lifts salsas, soups, taameya, and molokhia, while the ripe seeds bring a warm, slightly sweet spice to pickles and stews. This cool-season annual grows quickly and rewards you with both leaf and seed from a single sowing.

Planting

Coriander has a long taproot and does not transplant well, so always direct-sow it where it will grow. Sow the seed about 1.3 cm deep, keeping rows at least 38 cm apart. Each coriander "seed" is actually a fruit holding two seeds, and germination is slow at roughly 2-3 weeks. For a leaf crop, thin seedlings to about 5 cm apart; for seed production, thin to 20-30 cm. It grows best in full sun in well-drained soil but tolerates very light shade.

Fertilizing

Since coriander is grown mainly for its foliage, it favours nitrogen. Apply about a quarter cup of a nitrogen fertilizer such as 21-0-0 per roughly 2.3 square metres, one or two times during the growing season to keep the leaves lush.

Care

Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the season and water regularly while plants establish; once settled they need little water, and you should reduce irrigation as seed nears maturity. It is generally trouble-free, though watch for aphids, slugs on seedlings, and fungal disease in crowded beds. Harvest leaves cut-and-come-again when plants reach 10-15 cm, before hot weather triggers bolting.