Coriander is a herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family, native to the eastern Mediterranean area and widely cultivated also in Europe. It has small white or pink flowers, grouped like an umbrella. It is also called "bug herb" due to the unpleasant smell it emanates until the fruit ripens. The latter are globular and appear as seeds, gray-brown in color, crossed by veins.

Coriander is harvested at the end of the summer and left to dry, so that they completely lose their unpleasant odor and instead acquire a delicate and fruity aroma; it must then be kept in tightly closed jars. It is also available in the form of powder and is widely used in oriental and South American cuisine.