CORIANDER ESSENTIAL OIL (CORIANDRUM SATIVUM) - ESSENTIAL OILS

Botanical Name: Coriandrum sativum

Common Method of Extraction: Steam distillation

Part Typically Used: Crushed ripe seeds

Color: Pale yellow

Consistency: Thin

Perfumery Note: Top

Strength of Initial Aroma: Sweet, spicy, warm smell.

Coriander also known as Cilantro Chinese Parsley or Dhania, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to regions spanning from southern Europe and northern Africa to southwestern Asia. An herb originating in Egypt.

The annual or biennial plant is a native of Morocco and grows to about 1 meter in height. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink. The fruit is a globular, dry schizocarp 3-5 mm in diameter. The seeds are generally used as a spice or an added ingredient in other foods or recipes, although sometimes they are eaten alone.

The leaves, when crushed, give off an unpleasant odor like squashed bugs. The Greek name "Koris"  is the root word for Coriander.

The seeds have been used for thousands of years by the Egyptians, as an aphrodisiac (with seeds even found in the tomb of Tutankhamun) and by the Romans and Greeks to flavor their wines, while the Indians use it in their cooking.

The Carmelite order in France used the seeds to flavor their 17th century toilet water.

Chemicla strucutre:

Coriander oil is extracted from the crushed ripe seeds bysteam distillation and yields 0,8-1,0 % oil.

Coriander essential oil consists of compounds likeBorneol, Cineole, Cymene, Dipentene, Linalool, Phellandrene, Pinene, Terpineol and Terpinolene.