I was interested to find out somewhat recently that two seasonings I use frequently (cilantro and coriander) are from the same plant.
I am used to cilantro being used in Mexican cuisine, and coriander more in Indian cuisine. My understanding may be flawed, but are these two seasonings both used in single cultures? Did the use of both spices evolve around the same time?
They are both used extensively in Indian cuisines.
Cilantro is an old world plant, so it didn't exist in Mexico before the Columbian Exchange. No one knows exactly where it was first domesticated, but it grows wild across a wide belt from southern Europe to India, so it could have been anywhere in that belt, possibly in multiple places. But it was unknown in the new world until Europeans took it there.
Coriander seeds are one of the four key spices of most north Indian cuisines, so they are used in a huge variety of dishes. And coriander leaves are a basic ingredient of the vast majority of Indian chutneys, as well as used as a garnish on a variety of dishes.