History of Cilantro Mexican Food
History of Cilantro - A Mexican Food Herb
In Mexican cuisine, the authentic herbs and spices enhance the flavor of their dishes and it gives the incredible aroma that no one can ever resist. One of the popular ingredients that they are using is the herb Cilantro. So, what is the history of cilantro in Mexican food?
How did the Mexicans find out about the wonderful taste and aroma that cilantro can give? Cilantro, is also called Coriander, it has been used by many people for a long period of time. The ingredient is very important in many Mexican recipes and is featured in many too. It is not only the Mexicans who use cilantro many other cuisines make use of this wonderful herb. The divine smell of the cilantro makes it really popular worldwide and makes it a very important ingredient in many dishes.
Cilantro is an herb that is thought to have some "Aphrodisiac" properties. A certain book that is over 1000 years old has a story about a merchant who is childless for about 40 years. Later on, the merchant drank a mixture that includes cilantro and the merchant was cured. From then on, the said herb is believed to have those aphrodisiac properties. It is also widely known as an appetite stimulant. Cilantro is a multipurpose and very useful herb which is a part of the carrot family.
The Spaniards are the ones that introduced herbs and spices in Mexico. They arrived in Tenochtitlan the capitol of the Aztec empire, which is known as the Mexico City nowadays, and conquered the city. Upon invasion, they discovered that the Aztec's dishes are made with chilies, corn, herbs, tomatoes, beans, and many more.
However, they thought that they should introduce a lot more ingredients to use in order to make wonderful dishes. The Spaniards brought goats, sheep, chickens, horses, cattle, and pigs. In addition to that, they also introduce rice, almonds, wine, olive oil, barley, new fruits, parsley, oregano, black pepper, and other spices especially Cilantro. With the combination of Spanish and Mexican cuisine, the dishes are extremely enhanced and the dishes are created more incredible and fantastic than before through the melding of the two cuisines.
The herb cilantro is typically used for two purposes: baking and cooking. As what I have previously stated, it is not only the Mexicans who use cilantro in their cuisine. Ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and many more are using this herb. Herbs, including cilantro, are very essential to many Mexican foods because without it, the dishes would be bland and gloomy.
The herbs and spices make a certain dish extra special and stand out among the rest. It can be used either dried or fresh, used in many salsas, tasty dips, dressings and variety of sauces. To release the incredible flavor of the cilantro, you should use a mortar and pestle to crush and grind the leaves. This way, the flavor will be deeply enhanced. Another thing to remember about cilantro, always add it to the food at the end part of cooking. Cilantro does not do well in heat.
Cilantro, the coriander plant leaf, seems like a mixture of parsley and citrus. It can provide strong flavor and aroma to the dish, making it the primary herb in Mexican cuisine. Have you ever wondered how the salsa and guacamole would taste without cilantro? Try it and figure it out yourself. You will realize how important cilantro is.
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