He explains that after conducting a few separate studies, scientists were able to pin down most cilantro haters as people with a shared group of olfactory-receptor genes, called OR6A that pick up on the smell of aldehyde chemicals. Aldehyde chemicals are found in both cilantro and soap. The green parts of the plant that gives us coriander seeds seem to inspire a primal revulsion among an outspoken minority of eaters. Culinary sophistication is no . From the online community at IHateCilantro. Cilantro is one of the most polarizing foods out there.
People either love it or hate it, with opinions rarely falling in the middle. Most people who dislike cilantro describe its flavor as being similar to soap or metal. Some reactions to cilantro are so strong that even just the scent can make a stomach turn.
However, some people find cilantro revolting, including, famously, the chef Julia Child. Of course some of this dislike may come down to simple preference, but for those cilantro -haters for whom the plant tastes like soap , the issue is genetic. These people have a variation in a group of olfactory-receptor genes that allows. Some of us heap it onto salsas and soups with gusto while others avoid cilantro because it smells like soap and tastes like crushed bugs.
There, cilantrophobes post haikus expressing their passionate anger and . A large chunk of the US population—including theof culinary goddess Julia Child—have claimed that it tastes offensive. Kinda like soap , in fact. It spreads further than these shores, too: a recent survey suggested that percent of east Asians, percent of Europeans, and percent of people of African descent all.
A good debate centers around a harmless herb- cilantro or coriander. For some, cilantro tastes like soap , dirt, crushed bugs or metal shavings. Strangely, some people are adverse to cilantro because they perceive a soapy aftertaste. An as it turns out, your genetics may play a role in whether you taste that .