Cilantro--Yuck

[aromaticwings]

Cilantro is a part of the parsley family right?? but it has a real strong flavor that I do not care for... Can we use another type of parsley to replace it... I just can not take the stong cilantro flavor.. Here I live in Texas everything is lately made with this stuff... yuck...

[Arky]

Something to take into consideration if you intend to avoid cilantro (coriander in the UK):

http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_cilantroremheavymetals.html


J.

[RawTruth]

Ha ha ha!! Living in Texas and not liking cilantro!!! You're funny!

Ummmm ... it's exactly the cilantro taste that's needed in those recipes, silly. You can't substitute something that tastes different and have it taste the same.

However, if it's something like guacamole, just make it the way you like it.

Which recipe are you referring to? And -- most importantly, have you actually made it yet WITH the cilantro and tasted it?

One thing to keep in mind is that the longer you are all raw, you tastebuds begin changing. Many people have noted that on this forum over the years (yikes!!! years??!?!) so dont' be surprised if you end up liking it.

[aromaticwings]

Well...ok... dragging feet.. but I think my taste buds need to do some changin first...

There is no specific recipe I had in mind.. Just was flipping through Alissa's book and alot had that in it.. also...other recipes I have gotten on the web...

[Shivananda]

Here I live in Texas everything is lately made with this stuff... yuck...Oh, me, I'm laughing so hard.... well, yeah... it would! It's a staple flavor note in a lot of Mexican dishes, like guacamole, salsa, etc.

The green leafy part of a coriander plant, cilantro (sometimes called Chinese Parsley) is a distant relative of the milder tasting Italian and French parsleys we Americans are more familiar with.

If the flavor is too aggressive for you, you can substitute plain parsley in a recipe, but the taste will obviously not be the same.

[ArcticMist]

aromaticwings. I have the same problem! I do not like cilantro!!! I dont mind it in dishes but only if made by other people. If I use it myself it never tastes good!!

I just moved in July to the Dallas/Fort Worth area!!

[Arky]

Some greens taste milder if you consume them with oil or nut butter. Worth a try if you can't handle the taste 'as-is'


J.

[Lady Green Jeans]

First time I had cilantro it tasted soapy to me. Don't know what posessed me to try it the second time, but did and have liked it ever since.

[karenisraw]

Arky,

Thanks for the article. I am going to get some cilantro the next time I go to the store. I love Cilantro by the way.

k
:)

[aromaticwings]

aromaticwings. I have the same problem! I do not like cilantro!!! I dont mind it in dishes but only if made by other people. If I use it myself it never tastes good!!

I just moved in July to the Dallas/Fort Worth area!!
Welcome to Texas!! How do you like it?? Oops you can answer that in an email or im me if you want... could we ask you to please fill in your profile so we can remember this in a next post??

Anyway... I have been able to deal with it if it is very lightly added into the dishes.. so i will try the dishes with the ingredients as stated but if it is too strong.. well I guess I will go with the parsley.. Italian is one I guess I am used to since I am Italian... :rolleyes:

[JennaBoBenna]

my little ratties love cilantro! :) I hate it, but they like it! lol

[rawpriestess]

Hi, no worries, in whatever dish you are preparing just use any other herb of choice, most things that call for cilantro, wish to have that particular taste, but if you don't like it then try just ommitting it, or trying either parsley, basil, which is very intense, so make sure you like it before you try it.

Or any other herb you like.

tarragon is very intense, so if you are subbing for cilantro, try the herb first,then add only 1/2 as much that the recipe calls for, as you can always add more if you like.

you see, I hate avocados, so I understand that not everyone likes the same things.

[RawTruth]

There is no specific recipe I had in mind.. Just was flipping through Alissa's book and alot had that in it.. also...other recipes I have gotten on the web...Ha ha ha -- 'member that what we focus on expands!

[juliebove]

I love cilantro, but some people say it has a soapy taste to them. If you don't like it then just leave it out. I'd probably use chopped scallions in place of it.

[RawTruth]

Good idea, Juliebove. The scallions would have the little "bite" to it -- though, of course, the flavor would be different. But!! If someone (not naming names here!! hee hee) didn't like cilantro to begin with, that wouldn't be a problem.

[fuzzywater]

From what I gather - because my whole family (including myself) AND my fiance all hate cilantro - some people have a gene or genetic quirk that makes cilantro taste soapy to them (as several people have mentioned.) I'd be curious to see if the raw lifestyle changes things enough to make cilantro tolerable to people who have this genetic quirk.... as you're right, it's in EVERYTHING Mexican and drives me bonkers. My idea of a good salsa when eating out is one that doesn't taste "TOO soapy." How awful is that?!?

[PhoeniX]

I was shocked the first time that I heard someone say that they hate cilantro. I love it, but I have come to realise that it is a love or hate herb! Lately I have been putting into my morning fruit smoothies...

[aravis]

Send me all your unwanted cilantro....yummmm

[BDraw]

How funny!! I grew up in Texas and spent almost 1/2 century there and never once remembber anything with cilantro in it. And I loved Mexican food and spent way too much money in Mexican resturants. I even had a Mexican mother-in-law and she never used cilantro. I do not think it is a Mexican thing, but maybe a Tex-Mex thing.

What is really funny is that I didn't even hear about cilantro until going RAW (while in Montana).

And according to my mother-in-law, adding cheese to Mexican dishes is definately a Tex-Mex thing. Life is interesting.

Oh, and I forgot to mention --- I too can not stand the taste of cilantro, I simply omit it in dishes.

[Arky]

...Oh, and I forgot to mention --- I too can not stand the taste of cilantro, I simply omit it in dishes.


Well, I guess it's better to omit than vomit, right? :rolleyes: (sorry, couldn't resist!) :D

Incidentally, it's not as good as proper fresh, organic, raw homemade stuff, obviously, but I just found 'Sacla' brand coriander pesto in Tescos, which was a nice find from a convenience standpoint, at least.

The following looks nicer, though!:

http://www.theorganicfarmersmarket.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=shop.productDetails&prodid=32


J.

[rawpriestess]

the first time I ever tasted cilantro, fresh was when I was dating this cute young Mexican hunky chef who made me fresh Mexican vegetarian food each day, mmmmmmm was he yummy, uh, er, I mean the CILANTRO was yummy


(just for those who care, this was in my pre-Dragggon days)

[heabrook]

I LOVE cilantro. You should really learn to like it. Cilantro helps to cleanse heavy metals out of the body.

[aromaticwings]

How funny!! I grew up in Texas and spent almost 1/2 century there and never once remembber anything with cilantro in it. And I loved Mexican food and spent way too much money in Mexican resturants. I even had a Mexican mother-in-law and she never used cilantro. I do not think it is a Mexican thing, but maybe a Tex-Mex thing.

What is really funny is that I didn't even hear about cilantro until going RAW (while in Montana).

And according to my mother-in-law, adding cheese to Mexican dishes is definately a Tex-Mex thing. Life is interesting.

Oh, and I forgot to mention --- I too can not stand the taste of cilantro, I simply omit it in dishes.

Well, it does seem that it has recently become a popular thing to use. Some of our regular restraunts would have the salsa and chip thing on the table and most of the time I would eat that before going raw.. unless the salsa was too hot.. now even the mild heat ones taste like it... think taco bell had some burrito that had potatoes and stuff in it with the cilantro.. once I had a bite of it.. I was done... :o :eek:

[aromaticwings]

the first time I ever tasted cilantro, fresh was when I was dating this cute young Mexican hunky chef who made me fresh Mexican vegetarian food each day, mmmmmmm was he yummy, uh, er, I mean the CILANTRO was yummy


(just for those who care, this was in my pre-Dragggon days)
hahahaha RP you are too funny... I ahve seen alot of those uhm.. yummy guys here lately... oh no does that mean something is waking up again.. and here I am almost 50... Well... I guess June is a good time to be born huh... reborn... :p

[cheflissy]

I also don't like cilantro at all. Not a big fan of parsley either, but will tollerate it in small amounts. If a recipe calls for cilantro or even parsely for that matter I will usually cut it WAY down or not put it in at all. The scallions are a good idea. I don't usually use much of them, but that would give some good flavor and also alter it.

Melissa

[moonstone523]

HELLO FELLOW TEXANS!!!!!

I am from the DFW area.

Living in Thailand now. I've been here a year with the Peace Corps. Wish I could do the raw diet thing, but it's hard enough being a vegetarian. I get put in certain social situations where I just couldn't eat and it would be the center of all attention.

I'm just gathering inspiration for when I return home in a year. :D

But cilantro, or as we say here - pac chee! is yummy!!!! I had the best salsa today!!!! A teacher at my school translates cilantro to coriander in english though! I'm like, CILANTRO. IT'S CILANTRO!!! :p

[heabrook]

I get put in certain social situations where I just couldn't eat and it would be the center of all attention.


Why should that matter? If you let people affect the way you eat, what else will you let them control for you?

[RawTruth]

Hi Moonstone523 --

I can certainly understand the sensitivity of "social" situations being in the Peace Corps since you're a guest in a foreign country. It must be a delicate balancing act since you're representing the U.S. and needing to create a trusting atmosphere so they will be open to what you have to teach them.

I am planning to visit Thailand in December -- can't wait to revel in inexpensive fresh durian and so much fresh fruit! Where are you? Somewhere remote, I would guess.

I deeply appreciate the noble work you're doing ... and will welcome you back to the States. Meanwhile, I'm glad you found this online community.

[vegangelist]

born and raised in texas, 3rd generation texan and i always always hated cilantro until a few years back i decided to MAKE myself like it, since it was such an inconvenience NOT to like it (seeing as how it is is so many dishes). So, i started by putting just a small amount in each dish and working up gradually.

I will also say that after going veggie, vegan then raw, i have learned to like many many things that i didn't like before. now i can eat cilantro straight, out of hand.

And, finally, non-organic cilantro and parsley DO taste soapy. I have tried them in the non-organic versions when desperate, and i am hear to tell you, it isn't worth it!!! the organic versions don't have the soapy taste though :)

kristi

[CorporalChicken]

LOL!

I always wondered what cilantro was! I always thought I 'knew' it was some kind of green herby thing like parsley...

You learn something new everyday!

< dumb english broad :D

I personally love coriander (cilantro). Man, the smell of the stuff is screaming 'EAT ME!'

[Eastersky]

I can't stand cilantro either. When I see it in the recipe, I always remove it, and I have never had a problem with the end taste. Cilantro's flavor is way too strong for me.