CILANTRO & DNA
Cilantro is consumed by millions of people around the world. Yet, not everyone loves cilantro. Guess what. Hating cilantro is literally in your DNA. The gene OR6A2 encodes a receptor that is highly sensitive to aldehyde chemicals. The flavors and aromas in cilantro are mostly aldehydes. Soaps are made by fragmenting fat molecules with lye and aldehydes are a byproduct.
How Is Cilantro Used
Cilantro is a very common herb here in California. First, because it is so prominent in Mexican cuisine, it is therefore prominent in Californian cuisine. Itโs an essential topping to tacos alongside chopped raw white onion, included in many salsas, and actually makes a great pesto.ย
It also plays a large part in Mediterranean, Indian, and Asian cuisines.
How to Cut Cilantro
Here is how to cut cilantro. I say cut because this is not so much about chopping it, but more about how to easily remove the fresh leaves from the stem, to prepare it for use, such as chopping.
Prepare the Cilantro
When you purchase fresh cilantro from the grocery store, it is typically bound by a rubber band or twist tie. Don’t remove this. Leave it on for washing and cutting the cilantro.
Wash the Cilantro
First thing first, wash it. Herbs are especially dirty with all their nooks and crannies. Soak the cilantro in lukewarm water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda and soak it for 15 minutes.
And since I get asked this a lot, never wash your produce — outside of berries — before storing them in the fridge. Wet produce will spoil faster. Yes, they spray produce at the store. However, it is an open environment. Trapped in the fridge, produce that is even slightly wet will spoil faster.
Dry the Cilantro
Remove the fresh cilantro from the water. You want to rinse it thoroughly. The baking soda water will feel viscous, which is how you can tell when it has been rinsed away. People already hate cilantro for tasting like soap. You definitely don’t want it to taste like baking soda!
Line a salad spinner with a towel and spin it until the herb is dry. This protects the cilantro from getting bruised, which can affect the texture and flavor. If you don’t have a salad spinner, pat it dry with a paper towel and place it on a cooling rack used for baking to air dry and remove any remaining water.
Cut the Cilantro
Hold the bunched cilantro stem-side up and at a 45 degree angle. Take your kitchen knife, and it best be sharpened, and scrape down the stem, under the leaves. Kind of like you are shaving the cilantro stems. Turn the bunch and continue until all of the leaves have been removed.
Some of the more tender stems between the herb’s main stem and the leaves will end up in the mix. That’s ok. They have a lot of flavor and depending on what you are making, are perfectly find to use. Now the leaves are ready to chop or whatever your recipe calls for.
How to Strip Herbs
The method above works great when you need a lot of cilantro, like for salsa. But if you just need a few leaves from a few stems, try this fork or colander method.
How To Use Cilantro Stems
Don’t toss out the remaining stems! Over 40% of the food produced in the U.S. is thrown away. You can freeze the stems with other vegetable scraps for a homemade soup stock, make a simple syrup with them for flavored beverages, like a lemonade.
