I was just outed!
I was in the grocery store picking up items for my not-so-ambitious menu tonight and I got to the fresh herbs section. There was a woman there looking a little lost, so I took my headphones off in case she wanted to ask someone something. A few seconds later, she asked if I knew the difference between cilantro and parsley, since they looked and smelled the same to her. I told her that they are similar, but cilantro will have a clear citrus’y scent if she snapped the stem, or that if she sniffed it, the citrus hits at the end, kinda like an artificial sweetener aftertaste.
She laughed at that and said you must be a chef. I said no, I just like food. She smiled and said loudly, “You’re a foodie!” I jokingly made a shushing noise and then she said “Ok, here’s an advanced question,” asking me if she could, and I would, substitute parsley for cilantro in guacamole. I said she probably could and that I’d miss it more in salsa than I would guacamole. Her concern was one or the other going bad more quickly, I don’t recall which. I’m horrible at keeping herbs fresh beyond their initial use, but they’re so cheap that I never worry about it.
That definitely marks a first for me at my local Giant. Honestly, a foodie… the nerve!
I wouldn’t put parsley in guacamole either. In fact, parsley is the devil. If you wash cilantro and out it in a plastic container in the fridge, it stays fresh for a good bit. But then, I use it on everything.
Um, yeah, I’m with j. brotherlove. Parsley does not go in guacamole. I live in Texas. I cook Mexican food. I know what I’m talking about. *Scooby Doo waggly fingers*
And what the hell kind of nasty-ass salsa are you eating that has parsley in it? 😯
Parsley is not the devil! I like it in some stuff, a lot of my French dishes, actually. And I said I would miss cilantro more in salsa than I’d miss it in guacamole. But most of the guacamole I get out is heavy spice and heavy lime. I… have never made guacamole at home. I will however make that this spring or summer and I’ll even try the “light” version that uses lima beans and offer up a taste test to friends.
The key to good guac is good avocados. Nevermind the cilantro. You should be able to eat /enjoy the smashed avocados by themselves. For a beginners guide to making quality guac in DC area, go to Rosa Mexican by the Staples Center. They make their guac tableside, and it is good. They key to their tasty guac is the avocados.
BTW… never ever ever use parsley. The texture is all wrong for the guac.
CORRECTION: Rosa Mexicana is by the Verizon Center