Coriander vs Cumin: Are they the Same?

Coriander vs Cumin – We often find coriander and cumin located next to each other on grocery and drug store shelves. In fact, both are often used together in many recipes and dishes. Most of us don’t know whether they are the same or not? Here we will explain both and the difference between coriander versus cumin. Read on to the end of this article to find out how these two types of spices are used in recipes.

Even though coriander and cumin are dense and strong seeds, they still have differences and have their own distinctive taste. How cumin and coriander are used in recipes, read on in this article. Here we will explain the differences between each and what are the health and nutritional benefits contained in this spice.

Cumin vs Coriander

What is cumin and how is it used?

In cooking, the use of cumin is usually only in the form of seeds or ground seeds. Indeed, other parts of the cumin plant can be used and utilized for health. The leaves are sharp and strong and we rarely get in the store, the leaves are suitable for green salads.

While cumin seeds come from the Cuminum cyminum plant, it is native to South Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. It belongs to the Apiaceae family, still in the same family as the carrot and celery plants. In fact there are many other types of plants such as parsley, angelica, chervil, dill, caraway and many other plants in the family.

Usually cumin is a spice mixed with other spices. It also makes a great blend in masalas, powders, in a variety of Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, African, South African and Latin cuisines. Cumin plants are known in America because they were brought by new residents who came from Portugal and Spain. Then cumin also became a popular spice in Latin American cuisine.

Roasted cumin seeds will give off a distinctive aroma and are usually used as a topping on special dishes. For example as a topping on soup dishes and others.

Ground cumin and cumin seeds are available in grocery stores, sold in dry form, taste stronger and have a longer shelf life.

Cumin is also sometimes referred to as jeera, so in some specialty shops, they write it as “jeera”. Cumin powder should be stored in an airtight, cool and dark place. It only lasts about 6 months and then it will start to lose its taste. While whole cumin seeds (not ground) will last longer, about 12 months. For a longer shelf life, you can buy whole cumin seeds and grind them as needed, or when you need them.

Cumin Health Benefits

Cumin is not only a spice, but cumin has great health benefits for the body. Among the benefits of cumin for health is supporting weight loss, it is proven that those who have excessive weight can lose it by diligently consuming cumin or cumin supplements.

There is a study of those who took cumin, a weight loss drug and a placebo. The results of this study showed that those who consumed cumin regularly experienced significant weight loss, then the impact was also seen in those who took weight loss drugs. That is, consuming cumin has great benefits in losing weight naturally.

In addition, the health benefits of cumin are great for lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. But to be able to get solid results, there is still a lot of research that needs to be done, especially for the correlation of cumin with diabetes.

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What is Coriander, does it taste the same as Cumin?

It is also called cilantro or Chinese parsley, coriander is the name used for the seeds of the cilantro or Coriandrum sativum plant, cilantro is a spice that belongs to the Apiaceae family, as well as cumin.

There is a difference between cilantro and cumin, where all parts of the cilantro plant are used for cooking. The leaves and stems called cilantro are usually sold as fresh vegetables. Sometimes the leaves and stems of cilantro are sold with the roots not cut, the whole plant is useful for eating. The seeds are either still intact or seeds that have been ground are called coriander. In some areas of the world, cilantro is also known as “coriander”, so hopefully you won’t be confused when using this spice in recipes.

Cilantro and coriander have different flavors, so their use in cooking is also different. Usually, cilantro is present in South American, Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese dishes. While coriander is a mainstay spice in Mexican cuisine. Coriander is found in many grocery stores, either whole or ground.

The best storage for the powder can last for a year, while the whole seeds are even longer, it lasts up to several years. To prevent spoilage or damage to your coriander seeds, you should only buy whole seeds and grind your own according to your needs. You can grind coriander yourself with a pestle, spice grinder or in a food processor.

Whole coriander seeds can be deep-fried in a dry skillet, or roasted before grinding. By roasting them, the essential oils in the seeds will react and give off a distinctive aroma and taste. Storage of coriander should always use an airtight container and in a dark and cool place.

Just like cumin too, where coriander can also be added to grilled vegetables, and lentils, can be mixed with other spices or simply added to grilled or pickled vegetables.

Coriander Health Benefits

Coriander is also the same as cumin, it has several health benefits if consumed regularly. A study conducted on animals showed that Coriander is beneficial for lowering blood sugar. So, it is a good spice for diabetics. However, diabetics should be careful with coriander because it can lower blood sugar below normal.

The health benefits of coriander are also associated with improved cardiovascular health for several reasons. First, coriander acts as a diuretic so it is good at removing excess body fluids and removing toxins and sodium in the body. Second, as in animal studies, where coriander is useful for lowering cholesterol (LDL) and increasing good cholesterol (HDL). When we consume coriander and spicy spices can cause a decrease in sodium intake naturally. So, salt should not be consumed in excess because it is not good for health.

Coriander is also useful for fighting inflammation in the body because it contains antioxidants. Inflammation plays a role in various chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Consuming coriander is useful as a preventative against this inflammation. If inflammation has occurred, then treatment must be carried out with natural ingredients that are rich in anti-inflammatory such as turmeric and others, to be clearer you should consult a health professional.

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Differences and Similarities Between Cumin and Coriander

Previously, we have seen everywhere the difference between cumin and coriander. We will now look at the similarities and differences between the two in more detail.

In terms of appearance, when you see the whole coriander seeds are round, the color is bright brown and some are even yellow. When ground, the coriander seeds remain the same color.

Well, as a comparison with cumin seeds. Cumin seeds have a slightly brown color, and are striped and narrow, elongated and the contents are curved, and after grinding, the color of the cumin seeds will turn brown.

The difference between coriander vs cumin in terms of taste. The taste of cilantro is slightly earthy and hot, it also has a sweet, smoky taste, and some of it has a hot and earthy taste. Cumin also has a slightly bitter taste that feels in your mouth.

The taste of cumin is also more different and distinctive, if we use it together. If used together, we can find its distinctive taste. So, you have to be careful in concocting spices for a dish, because the two are almost the same and it is difficult to distinguish in terms of taste. The two have different flavor profiles, so coriander cannot replace cumin in certain recipes. The two cannot replace each other because they have different aromas and tastes.

However, usually ground cumin can replace ground coriander. But don’t try to replace ground coriander with cumin, it will change the taste of your dish. If you run out of cumin, the single best ingredient to replace it is caraway seeds.

Cumin and coriander are common spices used in Indian, Mexican, Lebanese, Turkish, and other cuisines, and this indicates that they have been used in cooking for a long time.

Coriander is also present in Indian cuisine, usually used in masala (spice mix). Meanwhile, cumin is used in tempering the dish. Cumin and coriander are often found in many Indian dishes such as rogan josh, chana masala, aloo gobi, samosas and palak paneer.

This spice is also used in western cuisine, usually in sweet dishes such as the use of coriander, while cumin is used in savory recipes including in meat dishes.

Cumin vs Coriander – Nutritional value

Now, let’s see how the nutritional value of cumin vs coriander, whether they contain the same nutrients or not.

Cumin and coriander, if we look at the table below, they are not only similar in taste and color, but also in terms of nutritional value of both. However, the nutritional value of cumin is superior to that of coriander. For example: one spoon of whole cumin with one spoon of whole coriander, cumin contains more minerals than coriander.

(Data source: USDA FoodData Central)

Cumin and coriander contain vitamins, but in small amounts. For more details, you can see it in the table above.