Coriander Seed

Food · Pantry & Condiment · Food, Typed Supps

The numbers here look impressive, but a teaspoon weighs two grams — treat this as flavour, not nutrition.

Stage by stage

Intake (Aroma released): Grinding and toasting rupture the oil ducts and release linalool, the seed's dominant aroma compound.
Digestion (Hull passes through): Whole seeds are largely indigestible hull; ground seed disperses with the rest of the meal.
Absorption (Negligible at real doses): At one to two grams the mineral contribution is a rounding error against daily requirements.
Why it matters (Palatability): The real dietary effect is making vegetables and pulses worth eating without adding salt or fat.

Time to effect

Not applicable: At culinary doses there is no nutritional timeline to speak of — this is a flavouring.

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, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Keto, Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

Not scored: the satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings, and nobody eats a 240 kcal serving of this. The question does not apply rather than the answer being unknown.

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

Volatile oils (linalool)
Polyphenols

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 321
Protein: 12.4g
Carbohydrate: 8.4g
of which sugars: 2.4g
Fat: 17.8g
of which saturated: 1g
Fibre: 41.9g
Sodium: 35mg

Food vs. supplement

Supplement-dose coriander extracts have been studied for blood glucose and lipids in small, mostly preclinical trials. Nothing in that literature transfers to a spice jar, and the culinary use needs no such justification.

Kitchen tip

Toast the whole seeds until fragrant, then grind them fresh. Pre-ground coriander is one of the fastest spices to go flat.

Common myth

"Coriander seed is packed with iron and calcium." In reality: Per 100g it is, but a teaspoon weighs two grams. The realistic contribution is around a third of a milligram of iron — and non-heme iron, poorly absorbed at that. The seed earns its place through flavour, which is reason enough.