Cilantro takes the spotlight
Coriander is native to the Mediterranean region, some 10,000 kilometers from Taiwan. In Mediterranean nations such as Türkiye, people mostly grind coriander seeds into powder to enhance the flavor of their food. In Taiwan, however, fresh cilantro leaves and stems are finely chopped to deliver a vibrant herbaceous kick.
A dash of minced green cilantro adds a fresh herbal flavor to Taiwanese bah-uân (rouyuan) meat dumplings, savory rice cakes, and vermicelli soup. When pig’s-blood cake is drizzled with sauce and coated in peanut powder, eating it with cilantro is a match made in heaven. And cilantro is an essential finishing touch for peanut ice cream rolls and runbing fresh rolls enjoyed at Qingming Festival.
Although mothers are given to scold children who play with their food, products centered around cilantro have been playfully springing up in Taiwan in recent years, providing taste experiments with a creative and mischievous bent.
The craze began in Beidou, Changhua County—the true “hometown of cilantro” in Taiwan.
Yen Yu-jen, a young farmer known as “Mr. Coriander,” whose family has grown the herb in Beidou for three generations, founded the Beidou Cilantro Production Cooperative. By developing cilantro powder and creating cilantro dry-tossed noodles, he has opened up a world of possibilities for cilantro.
Collaboration with the nearby Fong Siang Cafe allowed the cooperative to pioneer cilantro drinks in Taiwan. From cilantro coffee to cilantro macarons, mooncakes, and chocolate, the herb is no longer just a supporting player. It has instead come under the spotlight to take a leading role in creative new food products.
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Zhuang Junsheng used the cilantro powder developed by “Mr. Coriander” (Yen Yu-jen) to create cilantro coffee. Originally planned as a two-week special at his Fong Siang Cafe, the drink unexpectedly turned into one of the shop’s most popular items.
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As customers’ cilantro-crazed wish lists have grown, so has Zhuang continued to experiment—putting the herb into everything from “pineapple buns” and pineapple cakes to nama chocolate and “dirty choco buns.”