If you are a fan of cilantro but could not wait for 45 days to harvest your leafy green, you should grow cilantro microgreen. Cilantro microgreens are the fresh, young versions of cilantro leaves grown in a very short period of time. They can be grown in containers, indoors or out, at any time of year including in winter and they will be ready to harvest and eat within 3 to 4 weeks from sowing.

Like the fully grown cilantro leaf green, cilantro microgreens have a relatively mild citrussy flavor that simply adds a gentle warmth or kick to your food. However, about 15% of people, depending on ethnocultural group, have a gene that detects aldehyde chemicals which can make cilantro microgreens taste like soap.

MIcrogreens were first introduced on chefs’ menus in San Francisco, USA as early as the 1980’s. Cilantro were among the first microgreens initially offered to customers, which also included basil, arugula, kale, beets, and a colorful mixture of these microgreens. From California, microgreens moved eastward and became popular in the 1990’s. More varieties of microgreens were introduced at that time.