Photo: Kat Pearson.
BY KAT PEARSON, GIRL IN THE GREEN
Coriander. The most divisive herb if there ever was one. In fact, there is a genetic variation in some people (primarily involving the OR6A2 olfactory receptor gene if you’d like a bit of trivia for the next pub night) that actually makes fresh coriander taste like soap to some people. Their receptors identify the aldehyde chemicals in coriander, which are the same ones that exist in soaps. If you are one of these people, unfortunately, I do not have a solution for you.
If you are one of the people that loves coriander but struggle to grow it in our hot, humid, gross summers, I DO have a solution for YOU!
Enter Mexican/sawtooth coriander, Eryngium foetidum. It has similar aldehyde chemicals, so it might not fix the soapy taste problem, but this spikey little beast gives off the same coriander vibes as regular coriander (Coriandrum sativum). It also loves heat and humidity and is easy to grow in the subtropics and tropics. It struggles a bit over winter, but we can usually manage with regular coriander then, and so we shall have banh mi all year round!
Mexican coriander is in the same family as regular coriander, Apiaceae, or the carrot family. It is a low growing, bright green herb that forms a rosette of admittedly spikey-edged leaves – hence the sawtooth name. It’s best grown in part shade as the leaves grow softer and the spikes less spikey. I used to chop the very edge of the leaf margin off before I used the leaves, but now I find if I chop them finely enough, it’s not a problem.
The plants are a short-lived perennial, and if your winter is warm enough, they will last for a few years. To get the best out of the leaves, like many herbs, remove the flower spikes as they form. Considering the flower spikes are also incredibly spikey (I’m not selling this to you am I), it also makes harvesting much easier. If you’re happy to brave the spikes (usually you can reach underneath) leave them to grow and they will happily self-seed in a warm, moist spot.
I promise, if you’re a keen coriander lover and want to keep up your zingy herb supply for home-made bahn mi, curry garnishes, and guacamole improvements, Mexican coriander is one to grow. They can usually be found this time of year at nurseries in the specialist herb ranges.
