Last Updated on June 11, 2021 by Sindhu
There is no middle ground when it comes to cilantro. It’s either hate or love. Let’s check out the top 10 interesting facts about cilantro.
Start chopping some cilantro!!
- Most eaten herb
- Blame it on genes
- Coriander vs cilantro
- The secret ingredient in coke
- Antibacterial garnish
- Hangover drink
- Detoxify heavy metals
- Leaves vs roots
- Maximum in Mexico
- Use it fresh
Most eaten herb in the world
Out of hundreds of herbs available, cilantro is the most popular and widely eaten herb in the world. You can see it being used in various cuisines ranging from Indian, Mexican, Thai, Caribbean, Chinese, Latin, African, and eastern European.
It is such a versatile herb that it can be used as an ingredient or as a garnish.
Blame it on Genes
You might have known someone who literally hates cilantro. It’s all depends on the genes.
Some people love to eat cilantro whereas few people feel like it tastes just like soap.
So from next time, never force anyone to eat cilantro especially kids!!
Coriander vs Cilantro
Cilantro is called Coriander leaves in England and other Asian countries. And the spice is called coriander seeds. It all depends on where you are.
If you go to an Asian country and ask for coriander, you will be handed a bunch of cilantro leaves.
Whereas in the United States, South American countries, and Mediterranean countries, the green leaves of the coriander herb are called Cilantro. In fact, cilantro is actually a Spanish name.
But the coriander seeds that are used as a spice is called Coriander.
Secret ingredient in coke
Many a times, people claimed that they knew the secret recipe for coke from Coca-cola and they said coriander seeds are a part of them.
Well no one knows for sure but we never know!!
Antibacterial garnish
In many cuisines, especially in Indian cuisine no dish or curry is complete without garnishing it with a bunch of chopped cilantro.
There is a reason behind that. As we know that cilantro is antibacterial in nature, it acts as a barrier from bacteria entering into the food. And enhancing the taste is just a cherry on the top.
Hangover drink
It is said that Cilantro is often consumed in the form of juice or tea in Russia as a hangover drink.
In fact, cilantro helps in liver function and probably that was also a reason. And hence cilantro tea is also called “Drink after a drink“.
Detoxify heavy metals
Cilantro is notorious for detoxifying the body from heavy metals such as mercury, lead and chromium.
No matter how healthy we eat, several heavy metals sneak into our body through various foods. So raw cilantro juice is an effective remedy for this.
Leaves vs Roots
Whenever we think of cilantro, it is generally the leaves which grab all the attention.
But cilantro roots and stems have so much more flavor when compared to the leaves. They are often used in making curry paste and a few other recipes in Southeast Asia countries such as Thai cuisine.
Maximum in Mexico
Even though cilantro is used in many cuisines, Mexican cuisine uses it in almost all the dishes and to no surprise, it is the largest producer of cilantro in the world.
Use it fresh
In case of many herbs, it’s flavor intensifies when they are dried. But its opposite in the case of cilantro.
It is always best to use cilantro in its fresh form as it loses most of its flavor and smell when it is dried.
