Cocktails with Coriander/Cilantro leaves
Cilantro is the fresh leaf of coriander — a bright, citrus-green herb.
Substitutes for Coriander/Cilantro leaves
Basil or mint keeps the fresh green weight and moves the aroma somewhere else entirely. Nothing reproduces the citrus-soap edge itself, so a drink built on cilantro is better rebuilt than substituted.
Often confused with
Coriander seed
One plant, two ingredients with no relationship in flavor: the seed is warm, nutty and citrus-dry, the leaf green and sharp and soapy to some people. No recipe means one when it says the other.
Culantro
A different plant with a longer, saw-edged leaf and a stronger version of the same aroma: it stands up to heat, which cilantro does not, and it overpowers a drink at the same quantity.
Storage
Stems in water, leaves loose and covered, in the fridge: a few days. It wilts faster than most herbs because the leaf is thin and holds its oil at the surface.
