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A
native of the Mediterranean, coriander is the dried ripe fruit of
an annual herb with several branches and serrated leaves. The name
'coriander' is based on the Greek work 'kopis' which means 'bug'.
The whole plant, when freshly bruised, gives out a peculiarly strong,
rather obnoxious odour similar to that associated with bugs.Happily,
when the plant grows and matures, these disagreeable traits are
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wholly
lost and the ripe fruits are completely free from them. A fragrant
spice, coriander is today valued as much for its medicinal properties
as for its use as a condiment. It finds extensive application in
several kinds of foods, beverages, liquors and perfumes. Coriander
requires full exposure to sunlight but with less heat and medium-to-heavy
loamy soil,
good drainage and well-distributed moisture. Since many parts of
India meets all these conditions, coriander is a thriving crop in
this country. Since the Indian farmers prefer organic cultivation,
the quality is good. The major producers of Indian coriander are
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Madhya Pradesh.
The main importers are USA, the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka
and Middle East. Besides coriander as such, India also exports its
powder and essential oil. |
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