Sunday, January 27, 2008

Cilantro: The Weed that Divides Us

Bu-Ran-Don
Did you guys know that Ferret doesn't like cilantro?


I was recently confronted by my friends for the fact that I don't like cilantro. My friend Bu-Ran-Don was cooking some chorizo-cod, and adding cilantro to the mix. I commented that I don't like cilantro. Silence in the room. I don't think I've ever felt so persecuted for my taste in food. (Yes, not even the fact that I like durian has brought me such honest disdain.)

But yes -- cilantro -- I've never found it that appealing; it tastes a little like trash. However, as I think is well documented, I have a little bit of a masochistic streak when it comes to trash. Therefore, I'm willing to tolerate a bit of it in my food. Interestingly enough, there is a burgeoning portion of the population (1,777 at most recent count) that has been so infuriated by this weed that they have taken to the streets -- well, the virtual ones anyway.

I Hate Cilantro is such a community of cilantro haters. I think their vehemence is poignantly expressed by this picture from their website:



I was also pretty taken by their haiku section. My favorites:

This one by member Fairygreen:

Fondue so lovely
Wait, a bitter blow to tongue
A great meal ruined

Or this one (of many) by Popmusicguy:

Lucrezia Borgia
World famous for poisoning
Favored cilantro

Oh yeah, there's an anti-cilantro store as well, t-shirts, hats, the whole bit. Markets in everything. Care to vent your hatred, anyone? (Coriander is also available.)

No comments: