Michel Boucher wrote:

>
> > While you want to argue the semantics of scientific naming; they
> > were discussing cooking and various tastes as they apply, not
> > phylogeny. Coriander and dried cilantro have different flavors.
>
> So, flavour determines the use of language. Interesting. Why then
> do you not call coriander seeds something other than coriander seeing
> as it most likely doesn't taste the same as the root?

It's more than flavour Michel. Cilantro is indeed from a coriander
plant, but cilantro is commonly the leaves of the plant, and coriander
refers to the seeds. One is a herb and the other is a spice.


>
>
> > Furthermore, your example about the carrot doesn't fit either.
> > While the fruit, leaves, branches, trunk, and roots of an cherry
> > tree are all part of the cherry tree, I'm not going to top off my
> > hot fudge sundae with a chunk of root. The original poster was
> > asking for something specific, by name it is PART of the plant not
> > for the whole plant.
>
> So you justify using a different word for the leaves of the coriander
> plant, but not the leaves of other plants...let's see, what do you
> call the leaves of the basil plant?

Basil

> The leaves of the sage plant?

Sage

> The leaves of the maple tree?They sure as hell don't taste like maple
> syrup. I'm guessing they don't taste the same as the seeds either.

Nor does cilantro taste at all like coriander.

> All I said was that this distinction between coriander and
> "cilantro" was not necessary. And I stand by that.

If you are following a recipe and it calls for cilantro, they mean
cilantro (coriander leaves), not coriander seeds.