Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for January 30, 2017

Cilantro is food, I eat that too.

To some of us, cilantro tastes metallic (and slightly soapy). That doesn’t complement anything.

Coriander also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley

In his last week in office, President Obama pardoned Giants baseball legend Willie McCovey, 79, who admitted to tax fraud 20 years ago for not paying taxes on money made doing signings. (He paid a fine, and was given probation.) When the story appeared on ESPN.com, everyone in the comments agreed it was the right thing, but the conservatives went nuts because it was Obama who did it.

Which one is Benny?

Makes stuff taste like it’s got washing up liquid in it to me.

Sounds like someones cilantro wasn’t washed completely.

The perception of cilantro’s taste is linked to genetics. With particular genes, it’s a tasty herb; with others, it’s soapy. Several food preferences are being found to have genetic links.

The answer too often seems to be to “agree to disagree”

A BLT will now just be a B. I’m good with that

If it’s worthwhile for stores to stock an herb, then maybe it’s a clue that we don’t all want to say no to it.

Cilantro is wonderful in white rice—it gives the rice a whole new dimension of flavour.

Cilantro is definitely an acquired taste. I remember that the first time I tried pico de gallo I wondered how anyone could think that it was good. Now, I can make a meal out of it.

Nowt wrong with coriander.

I cook with Italian parsley, don’t like cilantro!

My grandfather was from Mexico and my father grew up eating a lot of authentic Mexican food, not that Tex-Mex stuff. There was no cilantro (coriander) in any of it. It’s not even Mexican, it’s Asian. So the next person to tell me it’s authentic to old Mexican cooking will get a habanero up a nostril.

I can’t edit images from the web to comments anymore . Some Knows why?

@Ninel: If you’d like to have such a feature, make use of the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of this page to say so to the people who are actually in a position to make it happen.

I myself continue to rail at them every couple of days because they still haven’t figured out how normal human beings use the “return” key with the expectation that it’ll produce a new line of type.

How about garnishing with bell pepper slices – I’m allergic – WHY? WHY? Just to make it look pretty. BAH! It soaks into hot foods – now I can’t eat what’s below it.

There is nothing we will all agree on……………..reference the above comments.

Make it kale and I’ll sign.

Bingo! A couple of years back I wanted to confirm a suspicion, so I talked to a couple of scientists I know at the U. of Maryland. Yes, the compounds that give coriander (no need to call it by the snooty name “cilantro,” as we have had the word “coriander” since Middle English) its taste are related to those compounds that give stink bugs their stench. I lived in S.E. Asia for 10+ years, the Middle East for another 10+ years. Life was sometimes hard for a guy who positively loathes coriander.

The hat is appropriate to so many protester/looters/rioters?

With cilantro, a little goes a long way. Goes great with twice baked sweet potato, but again, a little goes a long way!

I am confused. ( what’s new ? ) I use a lot of fresh cilantro in cooking here in Ecuador, as well as Italian parsley ( absolutely a different plant ).

But I also use ground coriander and cumin as spices. I never connected coriander and cilantro – they have two very distinctive flavors, colors, and textures.

How are coriander and cilantro the same plant or spice ? Is this a U.S. thing ?

Apparently, they are the same plant, /Curiandrum sativum/ . The word cilantro is derived from the latin curiandrum. I used to think they were two different plants too.

Also, looking for it because of this, I also discovered that culantro is not an old way to say cilantro but a totally different plant, /Eryngium foetidum/, also called Mexican cilantro, really native of Mexico and South America, and sometimes used as substitute, but with stronger flavor.

Yes it is genetic and yes for some of us, it does taste like soap.

Having problems with the Reply feature, though I did get a reply to Bruno Z., but not to Seed Dill. So I’m posting this as a comment here instead: Actually, now we can “like”. On the bar of icons below the comic, the one that has the speech bubble to click on to comment, there is also a heart. If you click that on, it says you can “like” the comic.