cl wrote on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:45:30 -0700:

> Terry wrote:
>> ...on the cilantro. Or on SOME variable.
>>
>> I love cilantro. Or at least I did until this weekend. Visiting a
>> friend in WI, he took me to a local Mexican
>> restaurant***. Salsa had what appeared to be fresh cilantro.
>> It tasted like soap!! I've not encountered this before. Never
>> understood why
>> people thought cilantro tasted like soap. Now I understand. But
>> clearly there's a variable that we aren't getting. Is it
>> the particular variety of cilantro? Is it the difference
>> between fresh and frozen? The age? The pH? The water?
>>
>> Some enterprising bio student who wants to do a useful
>> research project ought to investigate this.
>>
>> Best -- Terry
>>
>> ***Same name as the one here in Murray; is Mariachi Loco a
>> chain or just a convenient name?

> 1. what you had before was not cilantro, or this time it was
> not properly cleaned and throughly rinsed so it still had a
> soap residue. 2. some other ingredient or the container the
> salsa was served in was not properly cleaned and rinsed so it had a
> soap residue.

> I have had salsa from a mexican restaurant that contained
> cilantro that had a soapy taste. But I have bought cilantro
> from a market, rinsed it very well in water only, and it did
> not have a soapy taste when it was used.

Not again! It's genetic and there are *three* (3) reactions not two:
great, soap, none.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not