World of Spices

Coriander - Dhania

Coriander or ‘Dhania’ is the dried ripe fruit of a herb with several branches and leaves with jagged edges. Coriander forms the base of most Indian curries. Both its seeds and leaves are used in dishes. Coriander seeds are mostly used in powder form, slightly roasted to improve the flavour. It is basic to rasam, sambar and curry powders. Its leaves are used for making chutneys and garnishing.

Global production of coriander is about 2.9 lakh MT to 3.35 lakh MT per years. India contributes around 80% of world coriander production and produces around 2.5-3.0 lakh MT annually, Other major producers are Morocco, Canada, Pakistan, Romania. Major importers are Indonesia, Singapore, Sri lanka, UAE and USA. Rajasthan (60%) is the major producer of coriander in India followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil nadu and Orissa. Annually 5-10% of total production from India is exported. Domestically major varieties are Badami, Eagle, Scooter, Double Parrot, Single Parrot, Super Green. Badami variety accounts to about 65 to 70% of total production.

India is the leading exporter and exports around 25000-30000 MT of coriander each year. The export demand has been increasing constantly both in terms of quantity and value. The major domestic buyers of coriander seed in India are spice processing agencies, which consume around 50% of the production and are mostly located in the southern states of India and Delhi. As the masala making business is growing exponentially, the demand from this sector is expected to increase in future.