On 07/07/2012 12:59 PM, sf wrote:

>>> So what do you say when you see a bunch of stalks and leaves in the
>>> store labeled "coriander"? That grocer needs some educating. Would you
>>> take him to task?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I have never seen cilanto labeled as coriander.
>
> Calling it coriander is a British thing - I guess you Canadians are
> more American than not.


I don't know about us being more American than not. Fact is that
cilantro is a relatively new thing here. I can pick it up at most
grocery stores, but but not at the smaller produce stands, which
typically carry parsley, dill and other WASP herbs. The first Mexican
(TexMex) restaurant in the area arrived about 25 years ago, and Thai
restaurants popped up after that. We didn't even know what cilantro
was, let alone that it was the plant from which we get coriander. Even
coriander was an almost unknown herb. The first time I had it was maybe
30 years ago when my wife came across a recipe for a lamb shoulder
roast that involved smearing ground coriander *seed* ;-) green onions
and other stuff on the inside and rolling it. We had to go out and find
the coriander seed, and that was no easy task.

So..... cilantro (fresh leaves) and coriander (seed) it is. It is the
way people I know distinguish them, the way it is sold in stores, the
way it is used in cook books and magazine recipes.