Does coriander actually add anything?

I have come to love coriander for the citrus notes. I began using it in a recipe for spiced roasted cauliflower that also includes fennel, cumin, and turmeric and now I add it frequently to other things. I do enjoy grinding spices with a mortar and pestle.

It certainly has an aroma to me - rather orange-y. I use often and like it. I do not like cilantro, and use coriander as a sub in dishes that call for cilantro.

Me too on the like coriander, not so much cilantro. I confess, I don't use it enough to bother toasting and grinding it. The jar of seeds sits forlorn. The pre-powdered is sufficiently pungent for my purposes. Unlike cilantro, coriander is a mild flavor, so maybe it's getting drowned out in your dishes? It sounds like you're following recipes. American recipes are notoriously parsimonious with spices. If you can't taste it, add more!

I can’t taste it straight out of the grinder. It’s sawdust to me. But your post makes we wonder if I’m missing the boat by not toasting it first. That could be huge. Will try that.

(Send me all your cilantro, I love it!)

I don't toast it either, but I do grind the seeds in a coffee grinder - perhaps your smeller is faulty after all, FOAS?

I do not toast it, but I find it an essential flavor when making falafel. I also use it when making tonic syrup, and in the past, I have added it to chicken stock - its flavor seems to go well with chicken.

I used to let cilantro grow fairly wild in my back yard, and I also let it go to seed so that I could harvest the seeds. Fresh seeds have quite a bit more flavor than old ones, and you should be able to smell them. If you cannot, then I would have to guess that your sense of smell might be somewhat impaired.

“(Send me all your cilantro, I love it!)”

Ditto!!!

I haven’t used coriander in a very long time. Not sure…my memory’s telling me it’s more commonly paired with warmer spices, such as ginger, cinnamon, cumin.

Update: I revisited my not-yet-washed grinder and definitely smell it now. Quite strongly, in fact. I’d agree with Carol about the citrusy notes. I imagine one two things happened during my time away: Either the spice needed time to ”open up” or my nose-palate refreshed. I use it mainly for one thing, and it’s inevitably the last thing I add after chopping onion and garlic, freshly grinding peppers and nutmeg, adding ground ginger and clove… maybe my nose is just overwhelmed at that point!

Now, I can’t say if I’d miss the teaspoon or so if missing from a big pot of slop, but maybe next time I’ll add a bunch more to force it to stand out.

Thanks, all, for your input!