Cilantro

No, cilantro (fresh coriander leaf) is low in histamine and is one of the friendlier fresh herbs for people with histamine intolerance. It is a fresh leaf you use in small amounts, so it carries none of the fermenting, curing, or aging that actually builds histamine.

Why cilantro is rated low

Cilantro is a tender green herb, not a protein-rich food, and the amino acid histamine needs (histidine) is not sitting there in any real quantity for bacteria to work on. Histamine builds up when specific bacteria act on aging, cured, or fermented protein foods, and a bunch of fresh leaves off the plant simply hasn't gone through any of that. The one thing to watch is freshness of the leaf itself: cilantro wilts and slimes fast, and you want it bright, not decaying.

What changes your risk

• Freshness of the bunch — buy it perky and green. Cilantro is one of the quickest herbs to go slimy, and once leaves turn dark, mushy, or smell sour you want to toss them, not rinse and rescue.
• Mold — soft, wet herb leaves are high-moisture, so if you see any mold or slime in the bag or bunch, discard the whole thing rather than picking around it.
• How it's stored — a warm, sealed, damp bag speeds decay. Keeping it cold and dry keeps it in good, low-histamine shape longer.
• Add it fresh, late — stirring chopped cilantro in at the end (rather than letting a finished dish sit out for hours) keeps both the flavor and the freshness working for you.
• Sauces and dips it's mixed into — cilantro itself is fine, but a store salsa or chutney it's blended into may also contain tomato, lime, or vinegar, which are the parts some people react to, not the herb.

What else is safe

You don't need a substitute here, since cilantro is already low-histamine. If you dislike the taste or want variety, other fresh, low-histamine herbs work beautifully: flat-leaf parsley, fresh chives, fresh basil, and fresh mint. What looks green and herby but is a different story: anything pickled or brined (like capers), and green sauces that lean on citrus juice or vinegar. The leaf is not the problem in those, the added liberators are.

How to enjoy it

Buy the brightest, most upright bunch you can find. Store it like a bouquet: trim the stem ends, stand them in a little water in a jar, loosely cover with a bag, and keep it in the fridge, or wrap the bunch in a dry paper towel inside a container. Rinse and chop only what you need, and add it near the end of cooking or as a raw garnish so it stays fresh. If you have extra, chop and freeze it in a little oil in an ice cube tray rather than letting it rot in the crisper.

Common questions

Is cilantro and coriander the same for histamine?

Yes, cilantro is the leaf of the coriander plant, and both the fresh leaf and the seed are low in histamine. The name just changes by region.

Can I eat cilantro on a low-histamine diet?

For most people, yes. It's a fresh, low-histamine herb, so the main thing is using it fresh and not letting the leaves go slimy.

Does dried cilantro count as low histamine too?

Dried cilantro leaf is still low in histamine. Drying doesn't build histamine the way fermenting or curing does, though many people find fresh cilantro tastes far better.