Ask Chef Mauricio: No, Cilantro Isn't Optional—It's Your Taco's Best Friend
Welcome back to Ask Chef Mauricio!
We’ve laughed about the salsa bar and argued about Tex-Mex. Today, we address a common phrase I hear that makes me gently weep into my masa: "Can you hold the cilantro? It tastes like soap."
To those of you who belong to the "soap-tasting" club (yes, science says it’s a gene thing, I know), I respect your physiology. But as your trusted guide to authentic Mexican flavor, I must be firm: Cilantro is not a garnish; it is an essential ingredient. It is the vibrant, cooling, aromatic counterpoint that completes the Mexican flavor triangle.
When you ask us to remove the cilantro and the white onion from your taco, you are doing more than customizing; you are actively stripping the dish of its required balance. And when it comes to true flavor, balance is everything.
The Great Divide: Why Does It Taste Like Soap?
Let's address the elephant in the taquería. For roughly 4 to 14 percent of the population, cilantro tastes exactly like dish soap. This is not a personal failing; it's genetics! Specifically, it’s a tiny cluster of genes that detects the aldehyde compounds naturally found in cilantro.
While I can’t change your DNA, I can explain why, in my kitchen, we have to fight to keep it on your plate.
The Taco Trinity: Meat, Heat, and Herb
A truly great taco relies on a dynamic push and pull between its components. It's a precise chemical equation:
Richness/Umami (The Meat): The deep, fatty, savory foundation from Carnitas or Al Pastor.
Heat/Smoke (The Chili): The complex, slow burn and earthiness from the dried chilies in the marinade.
Aroma/Balance (The Cilantro & Onion): This is the acidic, fresh, high-note counterpunch that slices through the richness and cleans your palate for the next bite.
When you remove the fresh, cool sharpness of the cilantro and the pungent kick of the diced white onion, the equation fails. You are left with just rich meat and strong chili—a heavy, flat experience that quickly fatigues your palate. The taco needs that vibrant lift!
The Role of Each Component:
The Onion: Provides crucial crunch and a sharp, sulfurous bite that wakes up the mouth. It’s what prevents the meat from tasting greasy.
The Cilantro: Provides the coolness and the high, citrusy aroma that acts as a palate cleanser.
Together, they are the functional equivalent of the squeeze of lime—they provide the essential acid and freshness needed for lift.
A Garnish of Respect: The Authentic Way
In authentic street food, cilantro and onion are served diced finely and generously. Why? Because they are meant to be eaten with the meat, not picked off the top.
In a proper taquería, the lack of cilantro is not a customization; it’s usually reserved only for children or those with a very serious, confirmed allergy. If you're over the age of ten and ask us to remove it, you are sending a clear signal: "I am not here for the authentic flavor profile."
Think of it this way: You would never order an Italian pasta dish and ask the chef to remove the garlic, right? Garlic is the foundation. Cilantro is the foundation of the taco.
Chef’s Plea: A Call for Compromise
If you are one of the unlucky few who tastes soap, I’m not going to force you to suffer. But I offer a compromise:
Try the Cooked Version: If you find the raw version too strong, try the cilantro in a cooked sauce (salsa verde or a guisado). When cilantro is cooked, the aldehydes that cause the soapy taste break down, and you often only get the pleasant, citrusy flavor.
Use Extra Lime: If you must skip the cilantro/onion, be aggressive with the lime. You need to replace that missing acid and lift with something else equally pungent.
Taste the Essence: Next time, ask for just a tiny bit of cilantro and a healthy amount of onion. Chew them together with the meat. Try to identify the freshness against the savory Barbacoa. You might just surprise your taste buds.
The authentic taco is a beautiful, balanced work of art. Don't be afraid to embrace all its colorful, aromatic chaos!
About Us: At Papi's Tacos, we bring the vibrant, no-fuss flavors of authentic Mexican street food to the heart of Singapore. Founded by Chef Mauricio Espinoza, a native of Mexico, our mission is to share the true taste of home. We craft our tortillas in-house and use the freshest ingredients to deliver a culinary experience that’s a world away from the ordinary. Come join us and discover what real tacos are all about. ¡Buen provecho!