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AlwaysLookin
October 22, 2021
What's the problem with most Cilantro bunches at the Grocery, NO FLAVOR! Well, there's a simple solution to find the best bunch - give it a shake and then sniff, if the fragrance hits you, buy it, if not, try another bunch!
Cook@117
September 16, 2021
I only once found too much cilantro in a recipe and that was walnut cilantro pesto. On the other hand, pistachio pesto was very good. I think the slight bitterness of the unskinned walnuts (who has the patience to skin walnuts) with the cilantro was not a good combination
James
September 14, 2013
Who in their right mind keeps eating something disgusting to them in order to make themselves like it? Yeah, keep eating it and you'll like it? What mentality is that? I don't like arsenic but I will if I keep eating it. I hate cilantro and always will. If my brain is offended by it, if it makes me gag, if my response is to spit it out, well then my brain is protecting me. Won't surprise me if we learn soon that cilantro causes cancer.
cookinalong
August 18, 2013
I never realized how polarizing cilantro is! Who knew? I know more people who object to cumin. Luckily, I love both. But don't get me started about beets....
Karl R.
August 9, 2013
I usually love cilantro, though sometimes it catches me off guard as soapy and gross - any evidence it varies by variety?
Panfusine
August 9, 2013
I planted 3 varieties this year to test any 'hypothesis ' that may be postulated. The coriander seeds from the Indian stores (which are a bit elongated , football shaped compared to the more spherical ones you find in seed packets), the other was a Delfino which has finger like leaves rather than tha Palm shaped ones that the other 2 varieties yield. The delfino was definitely more delicate & citrussy, as compared to the other two. The Indian store seeds yielded delicate plants with thin stems, the other one was the typical thick seeded ones that you see in the supermarket. I don't taste the soapiness, so cant judge on that factor.
louanne
August 9, 2013
For years I despised cilantro, just couldn't tolerate the flavor. Then, magically, a coworker brought in a Thai dish, and it looked so delicious, I couldn't resist tasting - I became an instant convert! Now, I'm rocking Asian and Mexican dishes :)
Alison L.
August 9, 2013
Former cilantro hater here! I published this essay on hating / loving it, and a bunch of other foods:
http://inquisitiveeater.com/2013/01/30/gene-therapy/
http://inquisitiveeater.com/2013/01/30/gene-therapy/
carswell
August 9, 2013
Put me in the cilantro lover category. Years ago a friend gave me an entire cookbook of cilantro recipes and I've never looked back.
Renee G.
August 9, 2013
so interesting really. I used to hate it because it tasted like soap. Now I love, love, love it!
friedathecat
August 9, 2013
All I can say is that if it's a choice between life or cilantro...adios! And BTW, soap tastes better than cilantro.
Ann C.
August 9, 2013
My understanding about Cilantro is that it is one of the herbs that can be used in heavy metals detoxification. Perhaps the revulsion some feel towards it, and their violent reactions, are the result of heavy metals toxins in the body, and not the *true* reaction of the taster. I've heard it said in the alternative medical communities that those with little or no amalgam dental work seem to be cilantro lovers, and those with a great deal of amalgam dental work, and those who have been tested and found positive for high levels of heavy metal poisoning revile it. Not saying there is a definite connection, but it made me think...
ChefJune
August 9, 2013
I don't have heavy metals in my body. Go through detox of many kinds on a regular basis. I have NO mercury in my mouth. And I can't stand cilantro. Try again!
Panfusine
August 9, 2013
That's an interesting piece of Information..I don't know if its something about Cilantro being included in the daily Diet from early child hood which would depend upon the native cuisine you grew up with.
I used to spit it out as a child (driving my mother crazy), but only because I hated the soft stems that clung to the tongue when eating it, The taste never bothered me at all.
I used to spit it out as a child (driving my mother crazy), but only because I hated the soft stems that clung to the tongue when eating it, The taste never bothered me at all.
Chris O.
August 8, 2013
I loooooove cilantro. But I wish my Vietnamese sandwich shop would leave the stems off my bánh mì. Stems are awful. Otherwise, give it to me.
Katie P.
August 8, 2013
Yeah, I'm personal proof that it's not genetic but experiential. The first times I tasted it (and not just a few times, but maybe the first four years or so) it tasted utterly awful. Like an explosion of soap in my mouth. Like, gag inducing. But it's in so many foods that I love that I just kept eating it. Eventually the taste just... changed. It was really cool actually. The soap flavor just faded away and the herb flavor came to the forefront. My brain was just building new connections. Now I love it.
Lisa
August 8, 2013
How we taste this is genetic but context matters. too! While I love cilantro, I always ask preferences before using it in cooking. I just used mint as an alternative as suggested by a recipe at foodinjars.com. It does the trick!
valnsc
August 8, 2013
Learned that I am actually allergic to it. Want to see me run???? I become an Olympic sprinter.
Ken W.
August 8, 2013
The roots and stems have an entirely different flavor profile. They can be difficult to get because many suppliers remove the roots before packaging. We grow cilantro in our garden at school just so I can harvest the roots-but you have to wait until the plant bolts in order to get a significant amount of root.
Sam1148
August 8, 2013
My Partner is in the "hater crowd". However he discovered while making Thai Curries that the stem and roots don't bother him, and he trims off all the leaf. I get the cilantro flavor and he doesn't complain about that "Filthy nasty soap weed". This might not work for you or yours, but worth trying.
Ken W.
August 8, 2013
Love cilantro! And be sure to save the roots (freeze) as they are an essential ingredient in Thai curries.
amytuso
August 8, 2013
I have been making a tea with it which is delicious. I've been drinking it to cleanse my kidneys as I was shown to have moderate kidney failure. 3 mo. into doing this daily, my testing came back improved!
toi
August 8, 2013
i love cilantro with all my heart. i always pick a few leaves while cooking and eat them raw.
this is the first time i've heard that some people find it soapy, to me it's always tasted more like citric and oh, so heavenly ?
this is the first time i've heard that some people find it soapy, to me it's always tasted more like citric and oh, so heavenly ?
Joe C.
August 8, 2013
Why on earth whould I want to use offending odors, when we have parsely without any smelly odors!
Robin S.
August 8, 2013
The first time that I tasted cilantro I thought that there was something wrong with the food, as if it had gone bad. Then I encountered and hated tarragon. I know accept and use cilantro. I like it well enough to buy it and use it.
Rochelle B.
August 8, 2013
My favorite cilantro thing is a pesto made with pistachios. Uff! So delicious on grilled meat.
darksideofthespoon
August 8, 2013
I used to be in the "No no no cilantro, ever!" group. Now I'm happily on the other side. It's great, though I just can't eat *too* much of it. ;)
ChefJune
August 8, 2013
That's what I was hoping for. I keep trying every so often -- for more than 20 years now -- and still no go. Give me sweetbreads, tongue, tripe, kidneys (no SPAM). Cilantro is just unpleasant.
pierino
August 8, 2013
I love cilantro. But I've stopped trying to force it on people who just hate the soapy taste. For some reason the "herb" flavor just doesn't come through to them. I don't think we can convert them. I can teach people to like tongue,tripes and even SPAM but I've failed with cilantro.
Panfusine
August 8, 2013
I can't Live without cilantro in my kitchen. It would be like running out milk!
Desert D.
August 8, 2013
Yeah, no. Cilantro is the only food I can't tolerate no matter how it's prepared. I can detect even the smallest sprinkle in a pot of food because it makes everything taste like a mouthful of nickels. I've always thought the genetic factor made sense, because honestly and truly, my knee-jerk response to tasting cilantro is to spit it out as if it was poison. I've heard folks describe it as citrusy, which sounds lovely, but that's not at ALL what I taste. Practice and open-mindedness has nothing to do with it.
fatgirleating
August 8, 2013
i'm there with you, except it tastes like dawn dish washing liquid to me. and i can tell if even the smallest amount is in my food. 99% of the time, it just kills whatever for me. on REALLY rare occations i've been able to eat a really small amount (like a garnish on soup, but not the levels you get with pho) and be ok with it.
littlethingamajigs
August 8, 2013
Totally agree. Its terrible. I haven't been able to pinpoint what it tastes like, except for very bitter. A sprinkle of cilantro can just destroy an eating experience for me - not only does it overpower everything else, but then i also have to pick through the dish really carefully to make sure I eat the least possible of those little leaves...
ChefJune
August 8, 2013
Just for the record, I can't eat cilantro. And for me it's not about "like" or "dislike." For me and the folks I know in the same boat, this herb tastes like soap. I've been trying for years to like it, but frankly, IT doesn't like me. Soap is not an attractive flavor, no matter what the dish.
QueenSashy
August 8, 2013
ChefJune, I am with you. I can eat any food but one - cilantro. It has been a no-go my entire life and not for the lack of trying. Actually, I tried soap once, and it tasted better than cilantro :)
HalfPint
August 8, 2013
I think that a few sprigs of cilantro in a traditional banh mi is mandatory. It adds another layer of flavors that make it the 'banh mi' and not just another sandwich.
maryann T.
August 8, 2013
i am with the root and stem contingent...yet in a good salsa verde i do not mind the leaves
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