A Plea to Chipotle (for all those cilantro haters)

Cilantro. The word alone makes me cringe.

If you’re a cilantro hater like me, you know exactly what I mean. The stuff literally tastes like a deadly combination of soap, dirt and your worst nightmare. But guess what? It’s not your fault!

A study conducted by Cornell University proves that us cilantro haters can’t help it! It’s actually hard-wired into our DNA and there isn’t much we can do about it. You need to know, that you’re not alone. It’s thought that 10-20% of the population also has this brutal intolerance.

If you don’t know what it feels like to have this issue with cilantro, it is going to be hard to relate. I get that. But please, don’t roll your eyes when we ask for no cilantro. One bite can honestly ruin our entire meal. Can you imagine that? It frustrates me day in and day out that this issue (yes it is an issue) isn’t taken more seriously.

Let’s put this into perspective…

Did you know only 1% of the population has celiac and 5% have a gluten intolerance? I don’t know if you noticed, but there is a gluten-free menu EVERYWHERE! Why can’t there be cilantro-free menus as well? More of the population is affected by this issue and I just feel like no one cares.

I’ve been thinking about writing this post about Chipotle for a while, but I didn’t know exactly how to do it. I’m writing this post selfishly because I want to try the place! It’s very rare to find a fast casual restaurant that sources their ingredients in a highly sustainable way. Chipotle seems amazing. They have a cult following and in my opinion, do fast casual food the right way. Simply put, I want to be able to go to Chipotle and order myself a burrito or bowl without having to fear destroying my tastebuds for the next few hours.

Currently, if us “cilantrophobe”s go to Chipotle, we have VERY slim pickings. We can’t have either of the rice options (so the bowls aren’t even an option), the guacamole, or 3 of the 4 salsas. In fact, the only salsa we can have is the super spicy one. So, if I’m going to Chipotle, I’m pretty much looking at a very dry or very spicy burrito . I don’t about you, but the thought of just eating meat and beans in a taco doesn’t exactly get me very excited. I want to try the flavorful fixings!

On behalf of the 10-20% of the population that can’t eat at your restaurant happily, I’m begging you Chipotle, give us a chance to try you!

I am proposing 3 things to Chipotle:

• Have one rice option without cilantro (so we can try those famous bowls). I’ve read somewhere that on a secret menu you can ask for it without cilantro. If this is true, make it public so we know!
• Give us 2 more salsa options! One mild and one medium (that one with corn looks great…just saying)
• Create a separate guacamole (sans cilantro) or have some fresh avocado to add to our bowls and burritos

I’m tired of sitting back and complaining. Let’s do what we can do get the word out and make some changes at Chipotle and help build their cult following even bigger. Comment below and show that this issue matters to you (or someone you know)! Also, share this post on your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and get your friends involved too!

And  finally…let’s be friends! Follow along with me on my social channels and share your cilantro hating stories with me! Let’s face it, when you meet an fellow cilantro hater, you’re instantly BFFs, right?

Love always,
Erica