Monday 13 October 2008

UK Grocers Conspiracy

So I looked through my copy of "The Joy of Cooking," one of the US's most published cookbooks and the staple of many kitchens and of the many chili recipes not one counts cilantro(coriander to the Brits) as an ingredient.

I bought some vegetarian chili for dinner at Sainsbury's, cooked it up garnished it with cheese and crackers for NBH and cheese, sour cream and crackers for me and was all ready to get my grub on when NBH asks me:

C: Have you tasted the chili yet?
R: No, why is it gross?
C: No, but I think there is coriander.
R: Ah &*$! let me check the label.....

So yes our chili contained copious amounts of cilantro in it. No, I'm not just picky, I'm allergic to cilantro, so unless swollen tongues, vomiting and rashes are your thing don't give me cilantro.

The Brits seem to flipping love cilantro and it pops up in all sorts of food you'd never expect it to be in. I know to check anything ethnic, whether it is Mexican, Thai, Indian, etc but I'd never think to check chili. I know people like Bobby Flay and Rachel Ray popularize it's use in the US, but I have never seen it used so commonly here.

Ugh, no dinner for me tonight....

1 comment:

andrea said...

I am not allergic to cilantro, or coriander, but I may as well be as I can NOT stand it, at all. It is the most foul taste ever!

I am sorry your chili contained it :( Yuck!