A dire warning for Aussie foodies: your beloved coriander is in short supply! 🌿 But here's where it gets controversial... it's not just a case of a missing ingredient; it's a reflection of the extreme weather conditions impacting our fresh produce market. 🌡️
Coriander, or cilantro as it's also known, is one of the most delicate crops in Australia. It thrives in cooler climates, but with soaring temperatures and a record-breaking heatwave, our coriander crops are struggling. Most of the commercially grown coriander for the fresh market comes from Victoria and South Australia, where the heat has been relentless.
The delicate nature of coriander means it grows fast but wilts easily. Even with supplementary greenhouse crops and overseas supplies, the fresh coriander we find in our supermarkets has a short shelf life, and the recent extreme weather has only made matters worse. 🌱
You might have noticed alternative packaging options, like the plastic containers used by Coles, to help extend the coriander's lifespan. But it's a race against time; if it's not sold quickly, it gets marked down, as we've seen this week with the $5.80 price tag for two small packets.
Fresh coriander is currently out of stock at Coles, and Woolworths is selling it for $3.20 each. And when crops are discounted, it's not just the shoppers who lose out; the growers make less money too, and the cycle continues. 🌽️
Even dried coriander packets are in short supply at both Coles and Woolworths. But coriander isn't alone in its struggle; pineapples, gourmet tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers, strawberries, apples, and oranges are also feeling the heat.
Josh Ball from Farmers Pick puts it best: "Fresh food doesn't behave like manufactured goods. You're working to nature's timing, not a production schedule."
So, what's a coriander lover to do? Well, these mark downs are a great opportunity to stock up on fresh coriander and other herbs, which can be refrigerated or even frozen. Asian grocers also tend to have a more consistent supply. And if all else fails, dried coriander is always an option, though it's not as versatile as its fresh counterpart.
Coriander is a versatile ingredient, used in salads, tacos, salsas, curries, soups, and chutneys. And while supplies are currently low, we can expect things to even out as the year progresses and temperatures cool down. 🌿
But here's a fun fact: coriander and cilantro come from the same plant! Coriander refers to the dried seeds, while cilantro refers to the leaves and stems. In Australia, we commonly use the term "coriander" to refer to the leaves, or "fresh coriander." The seeds are simply called coriander seeds and are used as a dried spice, while the leaves are added towards the end of the cooking process.
And here's another interesting tidbit: approximately 20% of the population hates coriander in all its forms! They experience a "soapy" flavor due to a genetic variation in their olfactory receptor genes, making them hypersensitive to aldehyde compounds. It's more prevalent in those of European descent, which might explain why continental parsley, coriander's doppelganger, is so common in European dishes.
So, there you have it, a deep dive into the world of coriander and its current shortage. What are your thoughts on this spicy topic? Do you love or loathe coriander? And how do you feel about the impact of extreme weather on our fresh produce? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! 🌶️
