It was already known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was cultivated in India and the Mediterranean, from where it gradually spread to Europe. It was a component of medicines and wines. It was considered a powerful aphrodisiac and an herb of immortality. Both the leaves and the seeds are used.

It is used in sweet pastries, sauces, and in oriental cuisine. We add it to food only at the end of cooking so as not to degrade it. Coriander clears mucus from the lungs, is great in soups, meat, vegetables, on rice, is pleasantly warming, and is much milder than cinnamon. It stimulates the appetite, and a decoction of coriander promotes sweating.

It is of a warm nature; the fresh herb and seed are pungent, move upwards, release the exterior and stagnation, and benefit the lungs and large intestine. The dried herb is of a warm nature, but is not as pungent and benefits the stomach and spleen more.