The Chinese and The Coriander

I consider myself a pretty tolerant guy. There are many things that I take and appreciate for what they are, even though they are far from able to reach my Favourite list. There are, however, a few exceptions that never get to enter that list of forced appreciation. Things that just bring too much discomfort to the world. Things like - Coriander.

coriander,
originally uploaded by Lorraine Marie.

If you haven't tried Coriander there is no reason to cry about it. It is probably the worst spice in the world. What it does to food you would not wish on your worst enemy; instead of, like other spice, adding a bit of interest to the flavour spectra, Coriander chooses to drown all other flavours in one big Sea of Skunkyness. Especially when dealing with soups, as this gives Coriander the possibility to drown and impregnate every last bit of the dish. A possibility that Coriander does not hesitate to exploit.

Apparently the Sea of Skunkyness is appreciated in this part of the world. Coriander can be found in pretty much everything, be it bread, noodles or even fruit salad. The only way to escape the plague is to learn how to say "No coriander, please," (我不想要胡荽 - wŏ bú xiăng yào húsuī) and cross your fingers that they answer your prayers.

Maybe I am being a bit unfair to Coriander. How can it be held responsible for something it was born to do, even if that is to bring sadness to the world of food. And what's more is that many people actually like the taste of Coriander. It is believed that what separates they who like it from sound people is pure genetics. And the different parts of the plant actually do have different flavours, some of them not quite so bad. But still, if I had the choice, Coriander would not be a part of my life.