Whoa-oh, I like it
Are you likin’ it too?
Gerry & The Pacemakers – I Like It
Coriander. I love it, and so does Megan. Bet you didn’t expect that.
Well, I didn’t use to like it much, and neither did a lot of people I knew. When I found out that there is most likely a genetic pre-disposition to not liking this green, leafy herb, I wanted to know more.
You see, Charles J. Wysocki of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia is known for his studies into why coriander polarises those who taste it. There are two common perceptions of the taste of coriander. Some taste it as vile and soapy, even with a decaying character. Others say it’s fresh and citrussy.
When I first tasted the herb, I predominantly tasted the soapy character, and found it an unnecessary addition to my Thai curry or Mexican salsa. But I continued to eat it when I encountered it, and gradually realised that some dishes just aren’t complete without it. Now, I use it as regularly as parsley. Why has my perception of it changed so much, even though I probably pre-disposed to not like it?
Think about broccoli or brussels sprouts. As a kid, most of us disliked those vegetables because we are genetically programmed to reject foods which have a bitter character to avoid poisons. I remember watching Robert Winston’s amazing documentary The Human Instinct and seeing an experiment where he feeds puréed radicchio to an infant. Let’s just say the results were amusing.
But our tastebuds change as we age, particularly as a child, and many of us now enjoy foods like broccoli. Coriander can have a similar reversal. It’s the prolonged exposure to those foods in dishes that teaches our brain to realise that they are not a threat. Regarding his change in opinion of coriander, or cilantro, as it’s know in the USA, Dr Jay Gottfried of Northwestern University said:
“I didn’t like cilantro to begin with,” he said. “But I love food, and I ate all kinds of things, and I kept encountering it. My brain must have developed new patterns for cilantro flavour from those experiences, which included pleasure from the other flavours and the sharing with friends and family. That’s how people in cilantro-eating countries experience it every day.”
Whilst I’m on the topic of cilantro, I’d like to share a story. My friend from California once said to me , “I just wish I could find my favourite ‘erb here. I’ve looked everywhere.” I asked what it was, and she replied “cilantro”. I told her it’s called coriander in Australia, and she told me, “Oh, I have that in my garden”.
There are other foods I also find taste soapy. Lychee immediately springs to mind. Perhaps, in time, I’ll get over that too. But my point is, sometimes there are physical reasons why people don’t like certain food.
On a final note, if you don’t like coriander leaf, try dry-roasting some coriander seeds, then grinding them in a mortar & pestle. The resulting powder has all the citrus character of the leaves, but also a deep, nutty fragrance which is divine. It might just help you begin to enjoy the herb.
So there we are. The Fussy Foodies are trying to convince you to try something you may not like and we do. I’ll leave you with Gerry & The Pacemakers.
10 comments
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April 6, 2011 at 10:07 pm
Mike Zittritsch
I had no idea that coriander was such a contentious herb. Where I come from, it’s an essential Tex-Mex ingredient – you can’t hardly make guacamole or pico de gallo without it.
April 6, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Jesse
You mean ‘erb? 😉
April 7, 2011 at 9:28 am
Megan
I went out with someone who loved Mexican and loathed coriander (the plant). would pick it out of everything and could not touch food (even spring rolls) that had a tiny tiny amount in it. and people say -I- am difficult
April 7, 2011 at 9:59 am
Jesse
You are difficult 🙂
April 6, 2011 at 10:10 pm
erin
I used to hate coriander. Haaaaaaaate. I would pick it out of my pho and out of salads. The smell of it made my eyes water.
Then, at some point, I decided that I was just going to train myself to like it, because I like all the foods that coriander is generally associated with, and it just seemed a bit childish not to like coriander itself. I have a little bit of a problem with adult people who have irrational, childish dislikes of food, being the generally unfussy person that I am, so I couldn’t be one of those folks who was overly staunch in their hatred of coriander.
So, I started eating it. And it was -good-. And now I eat it on sandwiches and in soups and curries and all kinds of things, and I ask for extra coriander on the side with my noodle soups.
Best discovery ever. Well, one of them.
April 6, 2011 at 10:12 pm
Jesse
Erin,
Same for me. Love it now. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it
April 6, 2011 at 10:20 pm
erin
Same. I’m going to eat the hell out of a banh mi for lunch tomorrow. Coriandery Vietnamese goodness!
April 7, 2011 at 5:51 am
Jayne
Great article! I used to hate coriander and now it’s a personal fave.
I imagine the same is true for beer. I had to train myself to enjoy the bitterness, now I can’t get enough….
April 7, 2011 at 10:02 am
Jesse
Yep, same with G+T for a lot of folk 🙂
April 7, 2011 at 9:26 am
Megan
I love coriander so much. I love the leaf cilantro as well as the actual spice. It’s so weird that its accepted that people have this disposition and there’s research into it whereas it is possible to be similar on all other food groups that people have a particular dislikening to.