Ingredient Spotlight: Cilantro

Cilantro is Coriander.  Coriander is Cilantro.  That being said — the flavors are very different and cannot be substituted for each other.  Cilantro refers to the leaves of the plant and Coriander the seeds.  With that, there are some areas of the world that will refer to the leaves as fresh coriander or coriander leaves.

Cilantro looks a little similar to flat leave parsley so make sure to look carefully if getting it at the market.  You want to make sure that the leaves are nice and green.  Stay away from yellowing and wilting.  Once you have the cilantro home (or bring it inside from the garden) do not wash it until you are ready to use it.  The excess moisture will turn the cilantro into green slime while being stored.  It’s best to store in the refrigerator by cutting the ends and placing in a jar of water and leaves loosely covered with a plastic bag.  Then wash before use.

Cilantro is one of those foods that seems to fall on the love verses hate spectrum.  There are a lot of people out there that do not respond well to the taste which is sharp and has a bit of a citrus overtone.  Personally I am a big fan of it.  I think the important thing to remember is that a little goes a long way.  If a recipe calls for a lot of cilantro it generally means that there are a lot of other strong flavors that it will be melding with.

Below are some great dishes from Green Door Hospitality that include Cilantro.  Simply click on the image to be taken to recipe!

What foods do you like to make with Cilantro?