Don’t feel bad about hating cilantro

Do you really dislike cilantro, or know of someone who does? Cilantro seems to be increasingly popular in today’s recipes, not only in Tex-Mex food, but expanding across all cultural boundaries. In fact, many people love it so much they routinely substitute cilantro for parsley. Yet some people truly dislike cilantro – claiming it tastes of soap and worse.

The Kitchn and Gizmodo recently reported on the latest study from the University of Toronto, which explored this question in depth. The researchers discovered that a dislike of cilantro varies widely among ethnic groups, with 21% of East Asian hating the herb, but only 3% of those with a Mid-Eastern background. And while tasting cilantro early in a childhood diet may dictate part of this preference, the fact that those who love the herb and those who hate it report extremely widely differing flavor elements lends strong credibility to there being a genetic disposition. 

So please don’t call those who dislike cilantro fussy – actually, they’re in good company. Reputedly, Julia Child truly hated cilantro.