Cilantro would have come from Southern Spain, and was adapted because it has
the same flavor as the native herb, recao. Recao has the additional quality
of keeping its flavor in stews. It is also known as culantro in some places.


--
-Mark H. Zanger
author, The American History Cookbook, The American Ethnic Cookbook for
Students
www.ethnicook.com
www.historycook.com

"TOliver" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Gunner" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Does anyone have info or thoughts, preferably able to be verified or
>> referenced , on when and how Cumin was introduced into the new world.
>> Indentured East(Asian) Indians in the Caribbean, early 1800, the Spanish
>> in Mexico, early to mid 1500s, or perhaps the Texican theory of the
>> Canary Islands immigrants in San Antonio approx. 1720.
>>
>
> Familiar with the use of Cumin/comino in TexMex cookery, especially its
> lavish addition to the traditionally San Antonio chile/chili con carne
> recipes, I espouse that view. Of course, cumin's use on the Mediterranean
> littoral must have been widespread. One of the Maltese "archipelago" is
> "Comino", and the spice certainly shows up in Middle Eastern cuisines.
>
> I suspect the answer is that it took all three introductions, but would
> have "stuck" with any one....(and certainly "jerk" seasoning seems Asian
> based to me).
>
> The widespread use of cilantro in many of Mexico's regional cuisiane seems
> harder to track. Chinese parsely/coriander via the manila Galleons or
> what?
>
> TMO
>