Herbs & Spices
Chopped Fresh Cilantro Conversion
Chopped Fresh Cilantro weighs 16g per US cup.
| Amount | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 16.0 g | 0.56 oz |
| 1/2 cup | 8.0 g | 0.28 oz |
| 1/4 cup | 4.0 g | 0.14 oz |
| 1 tbsp | 1.0 g | 0.04 oz |
| 1 tsp | 0.3 g | 0.01 oz |
| 100 g | 100.0 g | 3.53 oz |
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Chopped fresh cilantro weighs just 16 grams per cup — the lightest entry on this entire site alongside raw spinach's featherlight structure — reflecting how thin and delicate cilantro's leaves and stems are, packing very little mass into a cup even when reasonably packed down.
Cilantro and coriander are, confusingly, the same plant referred to differently depending on region and part used: in US usage, "cilantro" refers to the fresh leaves and "coriander" refers to the dried seeds, while in UK and some other English-speaking usage, "coriander" can refer to both the fresh leaves and the dried seed — worth knowing before assuming a recipe from a different region means the same thing by "coriander" that a US recipe would.
Cilantro is also one of the more genuinely polarizing herbs for a documented biological reason, not just personal preference — a specific genetic variation (related to the OR6A2 olfactory receptor gene) makes cilantro taste distinctly soapy and unpleasant to a meaningful subset of people, a real, studied phenomenon rather than simply a matter of differing taste preference the way liking or disliking a milder herb might be.
Fresh cilantro's cup weight (16g, loosely packed) is among the lightest herb figures on this site because its thin stems and leaves trap a great deal of air — cilantro is also one of the few herbs where a meaningful minority of people perceive a soapy taste due to a genetic sensitivity to certain aldehyde compounds in the plant, a real documented phenomenon rather than a matter of pure preference.
Cilantro leaves and stems are both edible and flavorful, though many recipes call for leaves only out of habit — finely chopped cilantro stems actually carry a good deal of the plant's flavor and are commonly used whole in some cuisines rather than discarded.
How long does it last?
Storage & shelf life →
Frequently asked questions
Is cilantro the same thing as coriander?
It's the same plant start to finish, but the name splits depending on region and which part is meant — American usage keeps "cilantro" for the fresh leaves and "coriander" for the dried seed, while British and some other English-speaking usage lets "coriander" cover both the leaf and the seed.
Why does cilantro taste like soap to some people?
A specific genetic variant tied to the OR6A2 olfactory receptor gene is behind why cilantro tastes soapy and off-putting to a real, documented slice of the population — a studied biological quirk, not just a matter of personal taste.
Why does cilantro weigh so little per cup?
Cilantro's leaves and stems are thin and delicate in a way that echoes raw spinach's light structure, so even a cup packed reasonably full holds surprisingly little actual weight — it's among the lightest items this whole site converts.
Can cilantro stems be used, or just the leaves?
Cilantro's thinner stems are genuinely usable and carry real flavor, closer in spirit to parsley's usable stems than to a woodier herb — many cooks chop the tender upper stems right along with the leaves rather than discarding them.
How long does fresh cilantro last stored properly?
About 1-2 weeks stems-down in water, loosely covered in the fridge, similar to parsley's storage window and handled the same way — cilantro tolerates standard refrigerator temperatures well, unlike basil's cold sensitivity.