Coriander

(גָּד, from the root גָּדִד to make an incision, referring to the furrows in the seed). The Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic, with the Sept. and Vulg., render this word coriander (Gesenius, Thesaur. Heb. p. 264), as does our version in Ex 16:13; Nu 11:7, the only passages where it occurs, and in both which the appearance of manna is compared to that of its seeds as to form, and in the former passage as to color also. SEE MANNA. According to Dioscorides also (3, 64) the ancient Carthaginian name for coriander was goid (γοίδ), evidently kindred with the Hebrew gad. Celsius states (Hierob. 2:78 sq.) that the coriander is frequently mentioned in the Talmud (where it is called כִּסבִּר, kasbars, or כּוּסבָר, kusebar'). It was known to and used medicinally by Hippocrates: it is mentioned by Theophrastus, as well as Dioscorides, under the name of κόριον or κορίαννον; and the Arabs, in their works on Materia Medica, give korion as the Greek synonym of coriander, which they call kuzecreh, the Persians kishneez, and the natives of India (compare Pliny, 20:82) dhunya. It is known throughout all these countries, in all of which it is cultivated, being universally employed as a grateful spice, and as one of the ingredients of currie-powder (see Busching, Wochentl. Nachr. 1775, p. 42; Rauwolff, Reise, p. 94; Gmelin, Reise durch Russl. 3, 282). It is also found in Egypt (Prosp. Alpin. Res. AEg. 2:9, p. 156). It is now very common in the south of Europe, and also in England, being cultivated, especially in Essex, on account of its seeds, which are required by confectioners, druggists, and distillers in large quantities; in gardens it is reared on account of its leaves, which are used in soups and salads (see Pereira's Materia Medica). The coriander is the Coriandrum sativum of botanists, an umbelliferous plant, with a round tall stalk. The flowers are small and pale pink, the leaves are much divided (especially the upper ones) and smooth. The fruit, commonly called seeds, is globular, grayish-colored, about the size of peppercorn, having its surface marked with fine strime. Both its taste and smell are agreeable, depending on the presence of a volatile oil, which is separated by distillation(see Penny Cyclopaedia, s.v.). SEE BOTANY.