Cilantro
si-LAN-troh
Coriandrum sativum
Bright, citrusy, pungent, fresh.
What it is
Cilantro is the fresh leaf of Coriandrum sativum, the very same plant whose dried seed is sold as coriander, though the two taste nothing alike. The bright green leaves are citrusy and pungent, and a well-known genetic quirk makes them taste like soap to some people. Cilantro is essential to Mexican, Thai, Indian, and Middle Eastern cooking, scattered raw over finished dishes for a fresh lift. Like most tender herbs it fades with heat, so it is added at the end. It looks much like flat-leaf parsley, but their flavors are not interchangeable.
Similar but different
Easy to mix up, different enough that swapping changes the dish.
- Parsleyfresh, grassy, clean, lightly peppery.
- Coriander seedcitrusy, floral, warm, lightly sweet.
Compare head to head
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: long-cooked dishes that flatten its freshness.
Common in Mexican, Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern cooking.
Whole vs ground
Cilantro is used fresh; there is no dried equivalent worth using. The same plant's dried seed is the separate spice coriander.
How to handle it
Add chopped leaves raw at the very end, since heat dulls them quickly. Stems are tender and flavorful, so use them too.
Storage
Keep stem-down in water in the fridge, loosely covered, for up to a week or so.
Buying note
Look for bright, upright bunches with no slimy leaves. Roots, where sold, are prized in Thai cooking.
Classic dishes
salsa, guacamole, pho garnish, chutney.
Out of cilantro? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Thai basil, or parsley with a squeeze of lime | to taste | no herb truly matches cilantro's citrus-pungent note |
| flat-leaf parsley | 1:1 | fresh and green but without the citrus punch |
One odd thing
Cilantro and coriander seed come from the same plant, yet a genetic difference makes the fresh leaf taste like soap to a minority of people.