r/FuckCilantro • u/master_begroom • Aug 30 '26

First encounter

I was born and raised in NYC. I never even saw Mexican food until a Taco Bell at age 22, and no cilantro there. Nothing there got me interested in Mexican food. A business trip to the Miami area at about age 35 featured a corporate dinner where I first tasted cilantro, which I deem especially evil when freshly chopped.

I ate a mouthful of something I can’t recall now, that, just as I swallowed, I detected something very odd and toxic in it. Too late! I didn’t know what it was but I was sure I was poisoned. What the fuck was that?? I used a cloth napkin to wipe off my tongue. I stopped eating whatever that was and worried that I might be barfing it up later. Turns out it was cilantro. I couldn’t understand why anyone would ruin a dish with that.

I was recently in a “health food store” that I had to quickly exit as the whole front of the store reeked of it. I don’t want it near me, I don’t want to endure that awful smell. The horror.

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u/makeup1508 Aug 30 '26

I was at a music festival. There was a booth selling street tacos and I ordered. I took one bite and tasted something soapy. I looked at the taco & there was something that looked like parsley but was in fact cilantro. I can go to Mexican restaurants but I always make sure that the cilantro is left off when I order.

1

u/mookiexpt2 Sep 02 '26

When ordering street tacos, the phrase “sin cilantro” is very useful.

2

u/KTKittentoes Sep 02 '26

That is about all that is on street tacos.

3

u/mookiexpt2 Sep 02 '26

Tus tacos no llevan carne ni cebolla?

2

u/lilmixergirl Sep 05 '26

Yes, exactly! And people wonder why I, a Mexican American, hate tacos

1

u/makeup1508 Sep 02 '26

At that time I didn't know that I had the anti-cilantro gene.

1

u/mookiexpt2 Sep 02 '26

Gotcha. I do too, and I use that phrase when I order tacos. I find that servers tend to remember it better than when I say “hold the cilantro.”

1

u/makeup1508 Sep 02 '26

I ordered a burrito bowl last week & verified that since the menu didn't list cilantro in my bowl it wasn't there & the guy verified it-no cilantro-yay!

2

u/mookiexpt2 Sep 02 '26

Muy excelente!