How do you feel about Cilantro

[ChicagoRon]

I know lots of people love this herb, but if it's in something I eat, it's the only thing I can taste... and it is very bitter to me.

 

[gdl203]

I like it when it's not completely overpowering a dish, which is often the case.

 

[gomestar]

I really like it personally. It can be rank, but it can also add excellent flavor to some dishes.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by gdl203

I like it when it's not completely overpowering a dish, which is often the case.
+1

 

[DNW]

I like cilantro, even more than the ubiquitous parsley. It's a necessary ingredient in many Asian and Latin dishes. My omelette usually has a bit of chopped cilantro in it.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Good Mexican food requires a moderate level of cilantro.

 

[sho'nuff]

i love cilantro. however it is an acquired taste. i remember when i first had it when i was around 10 years old, i did not know what it was but the flavor suddenly made me gag and i had no recourse but to spit everything out and flush my taste buds with coca cola or something.

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Good Mexican food requires a moderate level of cilantro.
I can handle it in good salsa, because the spiciness can overpower it... but even like the green tomatillo salsa at chipotle has too much for me. Side Note - did you know Chipotle keeps plain white rice on hand in case you don't like Cilantro?

 

[Johnny_5]

There is a fine line that is often crossed when using cilantro.

 

[tattersall]

Too much in a dish and the whole thing takes on a kind of soapy flavour. I don't mind it in moderation, though. Over the top for me was a meal in BKK that started with whole cilantro plants (leaves, stems, roots and all, cleaned) that you dipped into a tamarind-chili based sauce and ate.

 

[Hombre Secreto]

Essential in Tacos, and Menudo. Yummy!

 

[Sic Semper]

I wonder if there is a genetic basis for not liking it. It's a staple in Asian and Latin kitchens. Maybe the inverse of lactose intolerance for Euros?

Michel Richard is known to hate the stuff. However so much isn't right without it.

 

[imatlas]

Originally Posted by tattersall

Too much in a dish and the whole thing takes on a kind of soapy flavour. I don't mind it in moderation, though. Over the top for me was a meal in BKK that started with whole cilantro plants (leaves, stems, roots and all, cleaned) that you dipped into a tamarind-chili based sauce and ate.

Originally Posted by Sic Semper

I wonder if there is a genetic basis for not liking it. It's a staple in Asian and Latin kitchens. Maybe the inverse of lactose intolerance for Euros?

Michel Richard is known to hate the stuff. However so much isn't right without it.

I've wondered this myself - I find that it taste soapy as well, and I've heard that before, but people who really like it don't think that at all.

I've grown more accustomed to it and no longer find it soapy, but only if it's well balanced by other flavors.

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by imatlas

I've wondered this myself - I find that it taste soapy as well, and I've heard that before, but people who really like it don't think that at all. I've grown more accustomed to it and no longer find it soapy, but only if it's well balanced by other flavors.
I'm generally okay with it if it's cooked in like a menudo. It's the fresh chopped cilantro on top of something that really kills me... like a Tom Yum soup. Whatever is cooked in I can handle... but if it's just fresh on top, I can't take it. I'm bet it is genetic, although nobody in my family has the same issue.

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

I'm generally okay with it if it's cooked in like a menudo. It's the fresh chopped cilantro on top of something that really kills me... like a Tom Yum soup. Whatever is cooked in I can handle... but if it's just fresh on top, I can't take it. I'm bet it is genetic, although nobody in my family has the same issue.
Fresh cilantro has a very pungent, and herby aroma, much more so than parsley. But, it also loses this pungency very quickly. I often add it to a dish at the last minute and just give it a quick toss. If you want to tone the flavor down, add it in a few minutes before the end of cooking. I have the same reflex as you with scallion. Cooked, it's okay in small amount. I gag when I smell fresh scallion up close.