The US has embraced an herb that is a staple of cuisines from India to Vietnam
Just in time for the holidays, Chipotle has released its own cilantro soap. It is a joke, because cilantro tastes soapy to some people, but also it is real, in the sense that it costs $8 and is actually soap. “The perfect gift for cilantro lovers and haters alike,” the copy promises. It is a testament to the power of cilantro that it inspires this kind of passion. I am not saying it is fair. I am just saying: nobody is making gag gifts about marjoram.
In the US, “cilantro” generally refers to the stems and leaves, while the seeds are coriander; in most of the rest of the world the whole thing is just called coriander. And right now, cilantro is everywhere: in ceviche and on tacos, blended into chutneys and served alongside bowls of pho. It is in the produce aisle of your average big-box supermarket. It is in the “Southwest Chopped Salad Kit” at Target, and sprinkled on top of avocado toast. It is so ubiquitous as to be invisible; to comment on the rise of cilantro is like announcing that you’ve just noticed salt.
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