Cilantro & Kamemushi

Every day I try my best at the end of the day to walk around the neighborhood.  In an attempt to be healthier and to see what the neighborhood has been up to.  It may be filled with older people but they get more done here then anywhere else I have ever been.

As I was on my walk today I stopped at one of our neighbors plots of land.  She is getting ready to expand and was clearing what she needed in this area so she could focus on the other.

After a rather long conversation on my part, I feel bad as I was probably bothering her at this point.  She pointed out to me that she had some Cilatro growing and didn’t know what to do with all of it because everyone in Japan doesn’t like it.

Now, cilantro is a point of contention for many people all over the world.  Some of them stating that it taste like soap etc.   But the reason she told me the Japanese don’t like it blew my mind.

She told me that Japanese people don’t like it because it reminds them of a Kamemushi.  Now I looked puzzled because I had no idea what the heck that was.  And after a quick google search while mid conversation I started laughing. 

The Japanese think Cilantro smells and taste like a STINK BUG.  Yes, those green bugs that walk around your house at night that have a bitter smell to them.  That is what cilantro is in the Japanese mind.

I am personally someone who loves the taste of cilantro.  It amplifies flavor in my opinion and as a topping for tacos?  You cannot go wrong.

Not dissing the Japanese palette but the comparison got me laughing until tomorrow. In any case I thought it was a funny point of information that I should share.