Cilantro is know for it’s pungent odor. It’s a robust hearty odor and used primarily in Mexican, Asian and Caribbean cuisine. It looks a like parsley, they are related, and can be used as a garnish as is parsley.
Cilantro can be grown almost anywhere. It is a relative of the carrot family. It is actually the stem and the leaves of the coriander plant. That’s the plant seed that was found in King Tut’s burial chamber. Apparently he wanted to go out smelling good!
cilantro.jpg”>Cilantro has an interesting history to it and has showned up many times throughout history. Keep in mind that Cilantro and some of its’ seeds were found in King Tut’s tomb. It is also mentioned in the Old Testament and was used by physicians dated back as far as Hippocrates. The Ancient Egyptians used Cilantro for such things as headaches and urinary tract infections.
Cilantro is a Greek word that translated into English means “Bedbug”. The Chinese added Cilantro to all their “Love Potions” because for them it symbolized immortality and they said the aphrodisiac effect of Cilantro is great. Kind-of gives new meaning to “snug-as-a-bug-in-a-bed”.
Unfortunately the Europeans are not found of Cilantro. They say they can’t stand the smell of it. They must not like Mexican food in Europe because Cilantro is a staple in Mexican cooking. It is used with chilies in making some of the spicy gravies that Mexican food is famous for.
Remember I said that Cilantro has a strong smell and because of that strong smell it was sometimes used to disguise the smell of rotting meat in order to get rid of the meat. Today just the opposite occurs. Cilantro is used to enhance the visual effects of food presentation and is used as a garnish in most upscale restaurants.
You want to harvest Cilantro before it blooms or bolts because it then becomes coriander which is another story in itself. Don’t bother to buy dried Cilantro because in the dried state there is almost no taste. So use Cilantro fresh, enjoy the taste and smell and opt out of the dried.
