Food Adversions - Coriander!

I had a conversation with my mother recently and she said that the only way that she would tolerate coriander is the dried version of that, and even the thought of consuming said dried coriander was enough for her to frown in disgust.

I read this post this morning about food aversions which even mentioned that it's possible for the dislike for certain foods to be genetic:

Neuroscientist Jay Gottfried, interviewed recently by the esteemed Harold
McGee, put forward his theory that the specific disgust coriander can inspire is
linked to its smell, which many people find soapy. He believes that our brains
fit food smells into patterns of already known foodstuffs, and if something is
perceived as belonging to a different group – cleaning products, in this case -
the brain will reject it as being something we should not eat. Evolutionary
biology at work on a basic level.

How can the humble coriander herb cause so much disdain? I was aware of the traditional food dislikes such as anchovies, certain meats and anything from the kebab store after a good night out with friends. Although the thought of enjoying a good guacamole without coriander is to much to handle! A Mexican lady that I worked with some time ago taught me her guacamole recipe and she said that it was her crucial secret ingredient for her guacamole recipe.

Perhaps it's easier to tolerate a disliked herb such a coriander when it's blended up in a mixture. I don't know anyone that would say no to guacamole, after all!

Food is a visual as well as a gastronomical experience to be enjoyed. Perhaps the mere sight of the offending coriander leaves is enough to rule it out for some?

Coriander is much more than a flavour packed spice, it contains antioxidants and has shown to help improve diabetes and cholesterol levels which is a wonderful reason to enjoy even more of it.

The best advice that I can give to expanding your palate is that many of the wonderful things in life are acquiring new tastes by giving the food a chance.

A great glass of wine didn't always taste so great when you were young, but over time you have come to realise that as glamorous as Passion Pop was to skull down as fast as you could with your girlfriends in high school, it only is the tip of the iceberg. There is so much out there to enjoy and experience.

Life doesn't wait for anyone, so go and try something new today. You may even like what you experience.