London, May 4 (IANS) Once unknown in these parts, the humble coriander - or ‘dhaniya’ as it is known in India - has been named Britain’s best-selling herb. The plant has pushed out basil and parsley to account for a quarter of all fresh herb sales, despite having been grown commercially in Britain only since the 1970s.

According to a ‘herb chart’ compiled by Fresh Herbs, an organisation representing British herb growers, parsley now accounts for only 10 percent of sales and basil 19 percent.

“The popularity of coriander is being driven by our love of curry and Asian food,” said a spokesman for Fresh Herbs.

“People have developed a taste for spicy aromatic dishes and are experimenting now more than ever with different fresh herbs varieties.”

Coriander is no longer sold in just Asian food stores in Britain, but is now a popular herb on the shelves of supermarkets - sold both in packages and as growing plants in pots.

However, the British love of coriander stems from its taste rather than ease of growing - it doesn’t seem to thrive in a pot on a windowsill as basil or sage do.

Britons bake the green leaves in breads and simmer it in soups, but most of all like it sprinkled on the nation’s favourite dish - the Indian curry.