Coriander

Food · Vegetable · Food, Typed Supps

A herb that is either a favorite or (for a real genetic reason) tastes like soap to some people — and is genuinely rich in folate and iron by weight.

Stage by stage

Intake (Chewing releases its oils): Chewing crushes the leaves and releases their aromatic compounds.
Stomach (Digestion begins): Contents move to the stomach for early digestion of its small amount of protein and fat.
Small intestine (Iron and folate absorbed): Vitamin C in the same leaves helps absorb the nonheme iron alongside folate.
Bloodstream (Supports blood cells and immunity): Folate supports new red blood cell production and iron helps carry oxygen through your blood.

Timing

Best added fresh or at the very end of cooking, since heat degrades both its flavor and its vitamin C.

Time to effect

Ongoing: Realistic serving sizes are small, so it works as one contributor to iron and folate intake within a varied diet rather than shifting status on its own.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

The satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings. At 32 kcal per 100 g that is 762 g of this, which is not a serving anyone eats — so the index has nothing to say about it.

Environmental footprint

0.5 kg CO2e and 108 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Other vegetables" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Pricey — roughly £25 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 31.5
Protein: 3.1g
Carbohydrate: 1.9g
of which sugars: 1.2g
Fat: 0.6g
of which saturated: 0g
Fibre: 3.2g
Sodium: 45mg

Food vs. supplement

Coriander pairs nonheme iron with vitamin C in the same leaf, a genuine food-based combination a plain iron tablet does not replicate — though a typical garnish-sized serving keeps the absolute amounts modest.

Kitchen tip

Add it raw or right at the very end of cooking — heat quickly destroys both its flavor and much of its vitamin C.

Common myth

“People who think coriander tastes like soap just haven’t tried it prepared properly.” In reality: It is a documented genetic taste-perception difference, tied to olfactory receptor gene variants, not a matter of preparation or an unrefined palate.

Recipes that use it

In the glossary

Heme vs non-heme iron