Why some people hate cilantro
July 7, 2016 by Darcie
Cilantro is one food that sharply divides people. A small portion of eaters despise the herb, claiming that it tastes like soap and ruins any dish that it touches, while others enjoy the bright herbal flavor it adds to food. In the past couple of years, scientists have made considerable process in understanding why some people can’t stand cilantro. The answer is apparently in our genes, specifically a genetic variation known as a single-nucleotide polymorphism (aka SNP).
The science is complex, but the explanation offered in the website is fairly easy to understand and includes a helpful graphic. The basic concept is that we all have specific receptors to process smells, but in about 10% of the population, one receptor is different from the rest. Instead of triggering the recognition of cilantro, this receptor signals the parts of the brain “that in the rest of the population are only activated by soap/bleach/death molecules.”
The article doesn’t explore any other factors that might influence one’s perception of cilantro. I know that in my own experience, the first couple of times I tasted the herb I thought that it tasted exactly like a bar of soap. However, this perception diminished in subsequent exposures until I came to enjoy the unique flavor profile. Now I pile cilantro on anything I can even remotely justify adding it to. Has anyone else been able to “train” their palate to like cilantro?
Photo of Cilantro and red onion bread (Pan de cilantro y cebolla morada) from Lima: The Cookbook: Peruvian Home Cooking by
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