Coriander seed vs caraway
Two Apiaceae seeds of similar size that sit next to each other on every spice shelf, and one of which is confused with cumin in half the languages of Europe.
botanical
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Coriander seed | Caraway |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Round, pale, ridged, hollow and light. | Curved, dark brown, ridged and denser. |
| Flavour | Citrus and floral with a nutty sweetness, and gentle. | Sharp and aniseed-adjacent with a bready warmth, and firmly bitter. |
| Toasting | Improves markedly and burns readily. | Also improves; more forgiving than coriander. |
| Where it belongs | South Asian and Middle Eastern spicing; the leaf is a different ingredient entirely. | Central and northern European baking, distilling and pickling. |
| As a drink | Brewed with other seeds rather than alone. | Brewed domestically across Germany, Poland and the Nordic countries. |
| Keeping | Whole holds well; pre-ground coriander is among the most disappointing spices to buy. | Whole keeps well; ground caraway is stale within weeks. |
| Name trouble | Coriander and cilantro name the seed and the leaf in different Englishes. | Kümmel means caraway and kreuzkümmel means cumin, in one language. |
The short answer
Coriander is the gentle one and caraway the assertive one. For a drink, caraway stands alone and coriander is a supporting note.
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