Is cilantro the same as coriander. Well they are from the same plant.  That plant is called coriander. Its leaves are refereed to as cilantro.  However when the flowers make seeds they are referred to as coriander seeds and are used differently than the leaves.

 This herb also known as Chinese parsley  is one of the most hated herbs around.  Indeed there are blogs dedicated to the “I hate cilantro” group.  People rant about cilantro on their Facebook page.  Why is cilantro such a hated herb.  Keep on reading.

The truth is cilantro or coriander used to be revered in ancient times.  In fact, the Chinese Han dynasty believed that it was able to bestow immortality on those who ate it.  In fact cilantro health benefits were utilized by Greek and Roman physicians for thousands of years. It is used in holistic medicine as a digestive aid.  Scientific studies have revealed that cilantro leaves contain potent antioxidants.  Recently, researchers  have revealed that  that chemicals found in the leaves are effective against Salmonella and may even affect MRSA. But that is not it.

Even with all these accolades, many cilantro haters would rather starve that eat it.  Some say it tastes like soap, others say it smells like bugs  and taste nauseating.  What is  about cilantro that makes it so unpopular with some, whereas others eat gobs of it.  Well, it may be that some people are genetically predisposed to dislike cilantro according to a study by Charles J. Wysocki of the Monel Chemical Senses in Philadelphia. Simply stated, cilantro lovers find the aroma of the herb citrusy and refreshing, and cilantro haters find the aroma soapy, buggy with cleaning agent undertones, so it is not their fault. It appears that the cilantro haters are ” super smellers”.

Pungent smell or not, the oil of this herbal spice may soon be a major player  in preventing bacterial contamination.  The study that was previously mentioned, found that coriander oil was effective against 12 bacterial strains including MRSA, salmonella and E.Coli.  Can you imagine the huge medical benefit to humans if the oil of cilantro could prevent all these different strains of bacteria?  Cilantro may yet be able to redeem itself with such a major potential health benefit in its future.