Question for the cooks out there
By Clint Perry
@cperry2 (5608)
Newport, Oregon
February 15, 2021 11:23am CST
The photo is of cilantro. In the world of spices, some of us out here love cilantro others hate it. I am getting into cooking now that I have a lot of free time at home. And I am a novice when it comes to spices. I've seen several recipes I want to try that call for coriander. I know that cilantro is the leafy part of the coriander plant.
Unfortunately, I am one of those people who think that cilantro tastes disgusting.
My question is this: does coriander (the herb sold as coriander -- the seeds) share the same type of flavor as cilantro. Meaning, from your experience with coriander, for those of us who cannot stand the taste of Cilantro, are we likely to share the same dislike for coriander?
Before I go out and spend money on this spice I am looking for any personal experience you may have with this herb. And any comparison you can make between cilantro and the spice coriander.
Edit:
I understand that in some parts of the world cilantro = coriander leaves and the seeds are referred to as coriander seeds (ground or not).
Thanks for your time.
(photo borrowed from the internet)
6 people like this
6 responses
@Fleura (30404)
• United Kingdom
15 Feb 21
It's hard to answer that because I love coriander, both leaves and seeds. I would say the taste is different but I couldn't really say whether you could bear one if you hated the other!
I'm just crushing a couple of seeds in my fingers now to try to describe the smell (and hence the taste). I would say it is rather like black peppercorns, but without the pepperyness if you can imagine that, and with a certain freshness to it.
Coriander seed is also known as Dhania by the way.
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@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
15 Feb 21
I appreciate the response. I was unaware of the other name, Dhania. I saw a British cooking show that featured chicken shawarma and thought it looked really good. So I went and got a recipe for it and found the Coriander in the list of ingredients. which got me wondering about the difference in taste.
I suppose I will end up having to buy some just to test the taste. Maybe I can find some in small a quantity.
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@LadyDuck (471459)
• Switzerland
16 Feb 21
Coriander and cilantro are exactly the same thing no difference. The seeds have a different taste from the fresh leaves and you do not use them in the same food preparation.
Coriander seeds are never called cilantro, but cilantro, coriander, Chinese parsley, when FRESH are all the same herb (herb, not spice).
Many people dislike the taste of the leaves and they say that it tastes like "dish soap".
The seeds are aromatic, totally different.
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@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
16 Feb 21
Thanks for responding Anna.
Having never tasted dish soap (do people really taste this stuff?) I guess I will never be able to say whether the leaves taste the same or not. But I am going to buy some of the ground seeds and try them then I will cook with them if I like the flavor.
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@DaddyEvil (137259)
• United States
16 Feb 21
Okay, here is the problem you may experience using either cilantro or coriander... sometimes it is the flavor you don't like... other times it is a genetic dislike. We have no way to know if you will like one or the other.
Here, read this. It explains it rather well, I believe.
Personally, I love the flavor of both and use both in my cooking.
Some people detest cilantro in their food. Are they more than just picky eaters?
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@DaddyEvil (137259)
• United States
16 Feb 21
@Fleura You're welcome.
It does suggest it but... further reading on Wiki suggests the seeds also contain the aldehyde but to a lesser degree.
I'd suggest trying a seed before adding it to anything you cook.
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@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
16 Feb 21
@DaddyEvil
I'll certainly test it before I put it on anything I want to eat.
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@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
14 May 21
My wife and I use both and like them a lot. My daughter can't stand cilantro. Did you ever do that test in Biology class, where a certain chemical is passed around and some taste it and some don't? Tasters find it disgusting, others taste nothing.
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@Dena91 (16634)
• United States
15 Feb 21
I hope you are able to get some answers. I do like cilantro, as long as it isn't a lot. I haven't used coriander in anything. If you don't get much response perhaps there would be a you tube video to explain the difference between them. I think on Chopped once one of the judges said coriander is more peppery in flavor and earthy, whatever that means. Good luck. 
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