A quiet jar of coriander seeds

An open packet of coriander seeds stands by the ring — the balls already give citrus into the heat. I don’t wait until the smell becomes dust: I tip them into a glass jar, lid to a click, a shelf at the bottom of the cupboard, where it is cool and dark.

A quiet jar of coriander seeds. Cumin beside it is another pattern on the tongue; mustard crackles in oil differently; fennel sits nearer anise; rosemary is a needle, not a round. Here coriander as a seed: keep it shut in the cool, so the citrus stays inside the ball.

Hay without a voice — into the bin, not into the pot “to decorate”. I crush a pinch between fingers before the pan, I don’t cook it long. I’m not comparing a brand from the aisle — only what is already opened at home.

I don’t need dust by the hob. I need a jar that still smells of citrus. In your kitchen is coriander under a lid at the bottom of the cupboard — or with an open edge by the heat?