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Help with cilantro

1K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  eggplant 
#1 ·
OK my first post, please forgive any mistakes! I was just wondering if someone could help me out by telling me what cilantro (sp?) actually is. A lot of primarily American vege sites I've looked at use it it endlessly in their recipes but I've not heard of it. Not sure if we'd just have a different name for it in Aus or if we have no equivelent at all. Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
Cilantro is what the leaves are called and corriander is the seed. They were talking about it on Christine Cushing Live the other day, where they said cilantro and corriander are the same thing. So if a recipe calls for cilantro I guess you could substitute it with a smaller amount of corriander.
 
#4 ·
I just made some hummus last night and put some of the leaves in it.........yummy! Also is great in salsa and foods similar. Just the leaves though. It is better fresh & you can grow your own in a small pot, just grab a few leaves to add to foods.
 
#5 ·
Yup, the leaves that we call cilantro in the US are called coriander in Australia, from what I understand. In the US, the seeds are called coriander, tho I think it would be less confusing if everyone said coriander seeds and coriander leaves or cilantro seeds and cilantro leaves.

The leaves look just like flat-type parsely leaves, but their taste is entirely different. I love it in tomato soup, tomato sauce (tomato salsa), and in potage parmienter instead of the traditional parsely.

I also put it in sweet-corn soup.

Sherijohnson writes " It is better fresh."

Indeed, you can put all the dried cilantro leaf you want to i a recipe, and it won't have the faintest resemblence to fresh cilantro leaf. It is one of those things that just doesn't work out well at all when dried. Other dried herbs and spices are rarely as good as fresh, but at least you can recognize the flavors. With cilantro leaves, drying seems to alter them beyond recognition. Blech.
 
#6 ·
Hi AusChic & welcome!

Pretty much the only mistake you can make is NOT posting!


There is an interesting phenomenon regarding cilantro: some people love it, and some hate it. To those who hate it, it tastes like soap I think (i'm not one of them).

I believe this has to do with some people having sharper taste senses than others. "Supertasters" will all hate cilantro.
 
#7 ·
Note of caution: if the recipe calls for cilantro, don't use the coriander seeds instead. the two taste completely different! even though coming from the same plant.

I love cilantro. I grow bunches of it in my yard. it freezes and dries great, so Ican use it all year long!
 
#8 ·
Oatmeal is right. I hate, hate, hate cilantro and I think it tastes completely different to me than to other people. Even on leaf in a dish totally ruins it for me. So, if you hear people raving about it and you try it and hate it...don't wonder what's wrong. Most people like it fine but it has a truly offensive taste to me.
 
#10 ·
I love, love, love cilantro. Sometimes I just stand there sniffing it for a while. I'm not sure about Oatmeal's "supertaster" theory though. I'm extremely picky and hate a whole host of foods that other people love, but one thing I definitely love is cilantro. It is true that people seem to either love or hate it though...
 
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