To Cilantro or Not To Cilantro

Cilantro (aka the leaves of the coriander plant) is apparently a tasty herb to a lot of people. I'm not one of those people. I find cilantro revolting. While some folks find it to be a pleasing combination of flavors reminiscent of parsley and citrus, I on the the other hand, can only taste dish soap.

Unfortunately for me, this particular herb is a common ingredient in many cuisines around the world, and some of them are my absolute favorites. Too many times my delicious salsa dip has been ruined for me with a heavy cilantro hand.

Oh, but I am definitely not alone. I have many like me including famously, none other than the chef Julia Child. Now, you may say that some of this dislike comes down to simple preference, but for those of us cilantro-haters for whom the plant tastes like soap, the issue is not in the taste palate, it's actually genetic and I'll have you know - it's kind of a super power.

For those of us who find the taste of cilantro to be "soapy" we have a variation in a group of our olfactory-receptor gene (OR6A2) that allows us to strongly perceive the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves. So no matter what your friends say, no you're not imagining it if that's what you taste.

This genetic quirk is usually only found in a small percent of the population. Interestingly, where the gene is found may vary geographically but in places where the herb is especially popular like Central America and India, there are far fewer people with these genes, which might explain how the herb was able to become such a mainstay in those regions.

East Asians have the highest incidence of this variation, with some studies showing that nearly 20% of the population experiences soapy-tasting cilantro. Which may explain why you don't find a lot of it in your lo mein. Thankfully I might add. It kind of makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

There is some evidence that cilantrophobes can overcome their aversion with repeated exposure to the herb, especially if it is crushed rather than served whole, but many people simply choose to go with their genetic inclinations and avoid its soapiness altogether. I am one of those people as well. There's nothing wrong with my sense of taste. Just don't put cilantro on my food and everything will be ok! 

Food... It can bring us together in a time of need.  And it can create family memories around a table.  It can do so many things.  But there's one food we can all agree on at any given time.  Mexican food.  So, where is the best Mexican food in Augusta and Aiken?  That's the question we are about to attack and hit head-on!

Of all the restaurants we have in our area, we probably have more Mexican restaurants than any other type of food.  That then opens the door as to who is the best.  The fun part about having so many, you can try them all till you find the one you like

Now you may choose different meats, chicken, or cheese for these items, but these are the most ordered items in Mexican restaurants:

Where is my go-to favorite Mexican Restaurant?  Well, it is in Warrenton. El Maguey Mexican Bar and Grill.  It's located at 725 Main Street in Warrenton.  For me, living in Aiken County, it is a road trip and worth every second of the drive.  They are family-owned and operated, and the food is on point.  I've never left there without a to-go box.  The portions are super big and super delicious.  My go-to there is the Burrito Cancun.  A large tortilla with steak, chicken, shrimp, rice, and beans then topped with cheese dip and red burrito sauce.

I promise you, there will be leftovers for later in the day or for lunch tomorrow.  They also have a new location in Wrens too.  Now I can't drive to Warrenton every time I want a great Mexican meal, chips, and cheese dip, but there are so many great locations to pick from.

And now, as voted by you, there are the top 6 best Mexican restaurants in the Augusta and Aiken area!

This is one of the newer places in Columbia County to enjoy great Mexican Food. Let's not forget the margaritas!

After a move just down the road on Richland Avenue in Aiken, Tequila's Mexican Restaurant Grill & Bar is ready.

While Mi Rancho has many locations across Aiken and Augusta, we counted them as 1.  The Texas rice at Mi Rancho is the best in town.

Now another kind of new Mexican restaurant in North Augusta and you guys voted it one of the top picks.  If you've been, you know why!

Now I've tried all of the ones on this list, but the Vera Cruz on Peach Orchard hits the spot like no other.

There were so many votes for  the one in Evans, the one in North Augusta, the one in Martinez... So we just made Monterrey the over all number 1 Mexican restaurant in Augusta and Aiken.