Cilantro Haters, It’s Not Your Fault.

[elleng]

FOOD partisanship doesn’t usually reach the same heights of animosity as the political variety, except in the case of the anti-cilantro party. The green parts of the plant that gives us coriander seeds seem to inspire a primal revulsion among an outspoken minority of eaters.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html?src=me&ref=general

[beac]

1. And Julia Child hated it AND arugula??????

*faint*

(They are two of my favorite green things.)

Oh well, tant pis for her and the other phobics. I'm sorry they don't get to enjoy its magic qualities.

[elleng]

6. Oui, tant pis!

(Not really. I'm sorry she didn't get to enjoy it, too. Has a freshness I love.) VERY interesting that the issue's been studied! LOVE the idea. Learn the facts and we can understand so much! (and won't turn my nose up at people who don't share my fondness.)

I'm VERY fond of cilantro, had a bunch in kitchen couple years ago (ya know, when that's how its sold at grocery) and just loved walking thru the kitchen.

[Phentex]

2. It's soapy to me but I have overcome my aversion...

unless it's overdone in a salsa or something. For years I thought it was just me, but thanks to the internet, I realized I am not alone.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. I could never understand the sudden inclusion of cilantro into so many recipes.

I can tolerate a little of it in fresh salsas and in salads (and I mean a little bit), but I really don't care for the taste of cilantro. If it's very strong it gives the food it flavors a medicinal taste that I compare to Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup.

[The empressof all]

4. I'm with you Gran....

All of a sudden Cilantro was everywhere and now every cook seems to think it's interchangeable with Parsley. :wow: Try to find Mexican food without it. Luckily we have a really good Mexican joint close by that makes Salsa without the green stuff and knows better than to put it in "Our" food.

I can appreciate Cilantro in small doses and especially can almost enjoy the flavor in some Asian dishes but for the most part I steer clear of the stuff

[noamnety]

5. We stopped going to our favorite restaurant because of it

There was an indian restaurant we used to love until they got a new chef who decided it had to be in everything. It made their entire menu inedible for me. We had to dump them.

[MajorChode]

8. I just substitute common parsley

Like you I can only tolerate a small amount of cilantro. It's commonly overused and easily overpowers many dishes.

[salvorhardin]

12. Blame the 1980s

It was an exotic ingredient then that swept through the country. Everything had to have cilantro in it! Sadly, the fad has been more enduring than others but thankfully I notice in recent years it doesn't quite permeate every single restaurant dish.

[Warpy]

7. The problem is genetic

and those of us with that unfortunate genetic makeup just taste soap when we taste cilantro by itself.

However, although I can't stand it by itself, I put it into both Asian and Mexican recipes in large amounts because the taste just isn't the same without it.

Cilantro plays well with others, in other words, just don't expect me to touch it if you put it on my plate as a garnish.

I wonder what Julia thought about epazote.

[salvorhardin]

11. Same here except my revulsion is stronger

The dish soap taste is unbearable, plus it tastes "fuzzy". I can tolerate it in very small quantities in salsa and some Thai dishes, but on the whole I have to ask before I even go to a Mexican or Asian restaurant because it is most likely to make the food inedible for me.

[Warpy]

15. Epazote is another one

that has to be handled carefully. Fresh epazote smells a lot like gasoline. I have never had the nerve to taste the stuff.

However, what it does to a pot of beans is sheer magic.

I'll just fish it out before I eat the beans, thanks.

I really do miss that soapy undertone in all sorts of ethnic cuisine when it's not there.

If it's on the plate all by itself, I'll join Julia in pitching it onto the floor. Ugh.

[Tesha]

9. It took forever for me to get used to it...

and the trick was growing our own- and using it sparingly.
(or course the snails help with that!)

Good article though - the NYTimes has such a great food section.

Thanks for the link!

[TreasonousBastard]

10. When I read that article I almost jumped up, threw the paper...

in the air and shouted "I WAS RIGHT!"

But, I kinda figgered I'd get thrown out of the diner.

Cilantro is another of those stupid fads that pop up when some influential chefs and food writers decide everything has been done and we need something new.

[elleng]

13. Really?

'The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many South Asian foods (particularly chutneys), in Chinese dishes and in Mexican dishes, particularly in salsa and guacamole and as a garnish. Chopped coriander leaves are a garnish on cooked dishes such as dal and curries. As heat diminishes their flavor quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish immediately before serving. In Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in large amounts and cooked until the flavor diminishes.<4> The leaves spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their aroma when dried or frozen.

Coriander leaves were formerly common in European cuisine. Today western Europeans usually eat coriander leaves only in dishes that originated in foreign cuisines, except in Portugal, where they are still an ingredient in traditional dishes.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriander

[TreasonousBastard]

14. OK, it's not entirely new, few things are, but it's new to...

modern American and Continental cuisine, such as they are, and subject to hype.

I still don't like the stuff, and methinks it fell out of favor in most European cuisines for a reason.

[Phentex]

16. I think it was fad-ish...

like so many things. Polenta, risotto, asian-fusion and on and on. There always has to be something new and in to keep the masses at the trough.