What is the difference between cilantro and cilantro?

If you look at recipes from TexMex cuisine you will invariably come across cilantro in the list of ingredients. That’s Spanish for “coriander leaves. You can simply replace cilantro with (fresh) coriander, as it is the exact same herb, namely Coriandrum sativum. The only difference, but this is a very big one, is that cilantro refers only to the leaves and stems (which are also just edible). So not on the fruits of the herb. In the Netherlands and Belgium, each part of the plant is called coriander, with the fruits referred to as coriander seeds. These fruits can be purchased both dried, and dried and ground into powder. In the Netherlands, we also know this powdered spice from Indonesian cuisine under the name ketoembar. Fresh or dried coriander or cilantro has a totally different taste than coriander seeds/powder or ketoembar. Therefore, you cannot substitute it between them. As an alternative to fresh cilantro, it is better to use flat parsley, and as an alternative to coriander seed/powder, it is better to use cumin seed/powder.

Although cilantro and fresh cilantro are popular flavorings in many food cultures, the spice can also meet great resistance. After all, people either like it or find it incredibly gross. A middle ground almost does not exist. People with an aversion to fresh or dried cilantro leaves often find that it has a sudsy taste. When preparing dishes, you can easily accommodate different preferences by serving it separately and letting guests add it themselves or not. In fact, boiling with it is not recommended because the fresh flavor will be lost.