Cilantro Benefits: Why Fresh Herbs Make Your Tacos Better
Cilantro Benefits: Why Fresh Herbs Make Your Tacos Better
Cilantro Benefits: Why Fresh Herbs Make Your Tacos Better
When you step up to the counter at El Famous Burrito and order your tacos, the most common way to get them is "with everything." In traditional Mexican food, "everything" doesn't mean a mountain of cheese or heavy sauces. It means a simple, classic mix of fresh chopped cilantro and diced white onions.
While most people just see this green and white mix as a tasty garnish that gives their taco a nice crunch, it is actually doing a lot more for your body. The cilantro benefits and onion benefits you get with every single bite go far beyond just adding flavor. These fresh plants are packed with vitamins and natural compounds that are great for your health.
In this article, we are going to look closely at why we use these specific herbs, what they do for your body, and why we care so much about chopping them fresh every single day at our restaurants in Lombard, Glendale Heights, and Wheeling.
A Quick History of Cilantro in Mexican Food
Before we talk about the health side of things, it is fun to know how cilantro became such a big part of Mexican cooking. Surprisingly, cilantro is not originally from Mexico. It was brought over by the Spanish in the 1500s. The native people of Mexico already had a diet rich in corn, beans, chilies, and tomatoes. When cilantro was introduced, it fit perfectly with these local ingredients.
The bright, fresh, and slightly citrusy flavor of cilantro was the perfect match for the spicy heat of the chilies. Fast forward to today, and it is impossible to imagine a real Mexican taco, a fresh bowl of salsa, or a hot bowl of chicken soup without a handful of fresh cilantro on top. It is a staple ingredient that brings all the other flavors together.
The Real Health Benefits of Cilantro
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is used all over the world, but it really shines in Mexican food. It is very low in calories, but it packs a heavy punch when it comes to nutrition. Here are the main cilantro benefits you get when you eat it fresh.
1. Helping Your Body Clean Itself
One of the most interesting things about cilantro is how it helps your body get rid of bad stuff. We are all exposed to heavy metals like lead and mercury through the environment, water, and even some foods. Studies have shown that cilantro can act as a natural cleaner. It binds to these heavy metals in your system and helps your body flush them out safely. It is a simple, natural way to help your body stay clean.
2. Full of Good Antioxidants
Your body is always fighting off damage from things called free radicals, which can cause aging and sickness. Antioxidants are the defense against this damage, and cilantro is full of them. It has specific compounds that help lower inflammation in your body. When you add a heavy scoop of cilantro to your meal, you are giving your cells a natural boost to stay healthy and strong.
3. Great for Your Stomach
Spicy food is delicious, but sometimes it can be a bit heavy on the stomach. That is where cilantro steps in. For hundreds of years, people have used cilantro as a natural way to settle an upset stomach and stop bloating. It actually helps your body produce more digestive enzymes, which means it helps you break down your food faster and more easily. So, putting cilantro on a big steak burrito is actually helping your stomach do its job.
4. Good for Your Heart
Some health studies show that eating cilantro regularly can help lower your blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol levels. Because it acts a little bit like a natural water pill (diuretic), it helps your body get rid of extra salt and water, which takes the pressure off your heart.
The Power of the White Onion
You rarely see cilantro working alone. Its best friend on the taco line is the diced white onion. While yellow and red onions are great for cooking and salads, the white onion is the traditional choice for Mexican street food because it has a sharp, clean bite that cuts right through the rich fats of the meat. But the onion benefits are just as impressive as the flavor.
Boosting Your Immune System
Onions are a great source of Vitamin C. We usually think of oranges and lemons when we think of Vitamin C, but raw onions have plenty of it. This vitamin is super important for keeping your immune system strong, especially during the cold Chicago winters. It also helps your body heal from small cuts and keeps your skin looking good.
Fighting Allergies and Swelling
Onions are full of a natural compound called quercetin. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that is known for fighting inflammation. Some people even use it as a natural way to fight seasonal allergies because it helps stop the body from releasing histamines (the stuff that makes your nose run and your eyes itch).
Good Bacteria for Your Gut
Your stomach needs good bacteria to function well, and those bacteria need food to survive. Onions provide something called prebiotics, which is basically the food that your good gut bacteria love to eat. A healthy gut helps with everything from your mood to how well you fight off common colds.
Why the Combination Works So Well
When you mix cilantro, onions, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, you create magic. The lime juice actually starts to "cook" the raw onion just a tiny bit, taking away the harshest part of the onion bite while leaving the crunch. The acid from the lime also helps your body absorb the iron found in the meat of your taco.
This mix is also the base of our famous Pico de Gallo. By adding fresh diced tomatoes to the cilantro and onions, you get a topping that is almost completely fat-free, super low in calories, and packed with water, vitamins, and fiber. It is the smartest way to add a ton of flavor to your meal without making it heavy.
Freshness is Everything at El Famous Burrito
Here is the most important thing to know about the health benefits of cilantro and onions: they have to be fresh. If you dry cilantro out, it loses almost all of its vitamins and its flavor. If you chop onions and leave them sitting in a fridge for days, they lose their crunch and their healthy oils.
At El Famous Burrito, we do not take shortcuts with our fresh ingredients.
El Famous Burrito Glendale Heights
At our 1165 Bloomingdale Rd location, our morning prep team starts early. We wash our cilantro in cold water to keep it crisp, and we chop it entirely by hand. We dice whole white onions multiple times a day so that they are always sharp and fresh when they hit your taco.
El Famous Burrito Lombard
Over at our 256 W. Roosevelt Road store, we serve a lot of people looking for a quick, healthy lunch. By keeping our garnishes perfectly fresh, we make sure that our customers get a meal that wakes them up, rather than a heavy lunch that puts them to sleep at their desks.
El Famous Burrito Wheeling
In our 236 McHenry Road location, the standard is exactly the same. No bags of pre-chopped veggies. No wilted leaves. When you see the bright green and crisp white on top of your order, you know you are getting food that was prepared just hours ago.
How to Get More Fresh Herbs in Your Order
If you want to take advantage of these health benefits, here are a few easy ways to add more fresh herbs to your next meal with us:
Ask for Extra: Don't be shy! If you love the taste, just ask our servers for extra cilantro and onion on your tacos or burritos.
Order a Burrito Bowl: If you are cutting back on carbs, order your meal in a bowl and ask for a heavy scoop of Pico de Gallo on top. It acts like a fresh, healthy salad dressing.
Get the Soup: Our Caldo de Pollo (chicken soup) is served with a side of fresh cilantro, onions, and lime. Stirring these raw herbs into the hot broth right before you eat it releases all the healthy oils into the soup.
Next time you order your favorite meal at El Famous Burrito, remember that the little green and white garnish on top is doing a lot of hard work to keep you healthy. It is just another reason why simple, fresh, and real ingredients are always the best choice.
FAQ Section
1. Why does cilantro taste like soap to some people?
This happens because of genetics. A small group of people have a specific gene that makes them very sensitive to the natural chemicals in cilantro, making it taste like soap. If you have this gene, just let us know, and we will happily make your food without it!
2. Can I get a taco with just onions and no cilantro?
Yes, absolutely. Every single order at El Famous Burrito is made right in front of you. Just tell our team exactly what you want, and we will customize it for you at our Lombard, Glendale Heights, or Wheeling stores.
3. Are raw onions healthier than cooked onions?
Both are very good for you, but raw onions hold onto more of their natural sulfur compounds, which provide the strongest health benefits. Cooking them makes them sweeter but removes a little bit of that raw nutrition.
4. Where do you get your fresh vegetables from?
We buy high-quality, fresh produce from trusted local distributors. We get deliveries constantly so that the cilantro, onions, tomatoes, and limes we use are always crisp and full of flavor.
5. What are the hours for the Wheeling location?
Our Wheeling location at 236 McHenry Road is open daily for lunch and dinner. Please check our website or Google for the exact current hours so you can plan your visit perfectly.