Talk:Sopa de pata

Alcapate is not coriander!

Alcapate and coriander are different. They taste rather similar, but alcapate is stronger tasting (more distinctive). In Spanish, coriander is called cilantro. I don't think there is an English translation for alcapate (other than "alcapate"); if anyone knows of one, I'd be very interested to know. Perhaps someone could even start a Wikipedia article on alcapate? It is alternatively known as "acapate", which is probably etymologically the more correct form, since the name seems to be related to the form in Nawat (or Pipil, an indigenous language of El Salvador), which is documented (by Lyle Campbell) as "ajkapaj". --A R King (talk) 18:56, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

I've also heard it called "acapalti", but that may be no more than a localism. You are correct; it is not cilantro (Coriander sativum). It's scientific name is Iva frutescens and its common English name is "Jesuit's bark". Please correct the error in the article.Wugo (talk) 00:31, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

Oops! Check this out: [1] Scroll down to "Spanish" in the listings and--BINGO!--alcapate = coriander leaves in El Salvador.Wugo (talk) 00:59, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

That information must be wrong, Wugo. I lived in El Salvador for several years and experienced at first hand both cilantro (= coriander) and a(l)capate (= ?). As far as I know the only thing they have in common is a similar taste and aroma, but because of this, the one may be used as a substitute for the other in recipes. The plants, however, are totally different - as different as two plants could be to look at. Coriander resembles parsley. As for acapate, I had it growing in my garden, and it has broad leaves, perhaps reaching a maximum leaf size of three outstretched fingers, that grow almost flat on the ground with hardly any stalk at all, making it very difficult if not impossible to ouproot, because the leaves tear in your hand and there's nothing else much to grab on to. Actually it's a funny little story because when we moved in I wanted clean up the (tiny) garden at the back of the (tiny) house and, not knowing what the acapate was, assumed it was just a useless weed (which it looks like) and had a very hard time getting rid of it, until my local sister-in-law came over and told me it was a very highly prized herb and I was very lucky to have it because it doesn't take hold easily when planted. After that we used to use acapate in all the Salvadorean or Mexican recipes (my wife's an excellent cook!) that traditionally call for coriander (cilantro), both because we had a free supply and also thought it tastier. Although they are interchangeable in this sense, I don't think anyone in El Salvador would ever confuse the two. I wonder if there are perhaps some recipes out there that give "alcapate or coriander" / "alcapate o cilantro" as an ingredient and this might have led English speakers to wrongly understand that they are synonymous (just a guess). I saw alcapate leaves on sale there occasionally and it was quite expensive by local standards. Cilantro of course is easier to obtain, hence the "one or the other" option in many local recipes. By the way, just for clarification, in El Salvador the coriander plant is called "cilantro" but coriander seeds are referred to as "culantro". --A R King (talk) 09:47, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

Regarding the name, I haven't encountered "acapalti" but it doesn't surprise me. The Nawat name documented by Campbell is, as I said, "ajkapaj" (or "ahkapah" in his spelling), but this implies an older form with a final "-ti" which is often dropped in modern Nawat. "Ajkapajti" could easily have been "corrupted" to "acapalti". Campbell assumes that the "-paj(ti)" part of this name is the Nawat word pajti which means medicine or medicinal herb, and occurs in other plant names. --A R King (talk) 09:57, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

Is this the right plant? http://www.chiquita.com/naturecommunity/FloraAndFauna/Slides/Flora/Slide%2009.asp Wugo (talk) 21:19, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

See also: Eryngium foetidumWugo (talk) 16:08, 26 December 2007 (UTC)

Yes, that's it. Happy new year, Alan --A R King (talk) 17:17, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

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