Cilantro Vs Parsley?

[roadrunner]

Recently I was put in charge of making a guacamole dip, which I've never done (I've always made salsa dips); I was given the ingredients and started making it.

I had some cilantro and wasn't sure how much to put in, so I cut up a lot and threw it in, figuring it had to get rid of it and I never noticed the taste before, so what difference could it make.

After mixing in I took a test dip with my chips and noticed that the cilantro had a pretty strong citrus taste, which I've never noticed before, probably because people are generally conservative in the portions chopped and mixed in; or possibly they were using parsley.

I'm not an herb person, but I have noticed that cilantro looks a lot like parsley, but I'm wondering what you all think of the difference in taste between the two?

 

[Ian]

They do taste a little similar to me, but I find that coriander/cilantro tastes much more intense than parsley (and a stronger aroma). I love the taste, but I know that a small number of the population have a gene that makes it taste "soapy"!

Whenever I make guacamole, I stick a reasonable sized bunch in .

 

[marlingardener]

Cilantro is one of the inedible herbs, in my opinion! I must have the soapy gene because I can't stand the taste of the stuff, which makes dining at a Tex-Mex restaurant something of a challenge.
On the other hand, I love flat-leaf parsley and use lots of it. I even freeze chopped parsley for use during the hot months when parsley curls up and dies here in Texas.

 

[Greenhorn]

We eat a lot of Mexican food People usually people love or hate cilantro, we all love it. To me cilantro has a very forward flavor and parsley is a little more subtle. We typically don't add cilantro to guacamole, we go with salt, pepper, a little sour cream and a touch of hot sauce. Adding diced onions, tomatoes and cilantro is how it's made some places. Way back in the day avocado and sour cream was considered "American" guacamole and the avocado, sour cream, onions, tomatoes and cilantro version was "Mexican" guacamole.

My daughter like cilantro (and some times sour cream) on top of black beans. Cilantro is also fantastic in a simple salsa fresca. Diced onions, tomatoes, peppers (your choice but like a Serrano, with a little heat), cilantro and a touch of vinegar. Yummm with chips and guacamore, on top of tacos...

Cilantro is not to hard to grow, just best when temperatures are mild as it bolts quicker with warmer weather.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Love Guacamole, make it rarely as I am the only one in the house that likes it.
anyway, to be able to taste Cilantro is a genetic taste bud thing I read somewhere.

 

[Silentrunning]

I am one of the fortunate ones that loves the taste of cilantro. I also like parsley. I use them both extensively when they are in season.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I make this often in the summer. If you like parsley, it is really good.

1. 1 cup bulghur wheat.
2. 1 1/2 cups boiling water. to soak the bulghur wheat in this one hour before the next steps.
3. 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
4. 1/4 cup good olive oil.
5. 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.
6. 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
7. 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
8. 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)

 

[alp]

Give me coriander any day! Love it! I even grew them last year and hopefully they self seed this year.

 

[headfullofbees]

I love both, but for different purposes.
They are both related to celery and it shows; celery leaf is a decent substitute for cilantro if none available.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

just saw on the show "worst cooks in America " they were testing taste buds. and had made cilantro jello shots for the test. the one person tasted it and said, Oh yuck, tastes like soap, guess he did not have the gene to taste the herb.

 

[Panda]

As far as growing I love flat leaf parsley, I tried coriander at first but it needs slightly warmer temperatures and doesn't last as long, I later went with flat leaf parsley in a more shaded area and it lasted well into the winter until the first snow came, it grew quite well despite too getting only a little direct sunlight, and these were regular pots of flat leaf parsley from Tesco too for like 1
50 each or something lol so I'm a big fan of it now, as for taste I'd go with coriander and also for fragrance if you wanted a nice smelling herb for the window sill

 

[alp]

Panda: Would love to know where you are based. I had coriander all summer last year, but I live in Essex.

I love coriander for its fragrance, especially the stems being chopped up. Nothing beats it in some fragrant rice or curry.

 

[Panda]

Panda: Would love to know where you are based. I had coriander all summer last year, but I live in Essex.

I love coriander for its fragrance, especially the stems being chopped up. Nothing beats it in some fragrant rice or curry.

Hi I'm in NI, I would prefer to grow coriander as it has less calcium in it compared to parsley so I could feed it to my guinea pigs daily compared to parsley which is 1-2 times a week, but to my knowledge they need slightly warmer temperatures and are a bit more finicky so I replaced them with parsley late last summer and they lived well into the first snow fall in the winter

 

[alp]

You could put them in the window sill. We are indeed constrained by where we live. But you can grow meconopsis, acer, streptocarpus, hydrangea. I would be crying if I lived in the Emerald island. Seems to be raining every other day, like parts of Wales. Fern would be very happy in NI!

 

[Gardening Girl]

I am from a divided house. I LOVE cilantro, my husband hates it. He says it smells and tastes like stink bug.