To Cilantro or Not To Cilantro
Cilantro (aka the leaves of the coriander plant) is apparently a tasty herb to a lot of people. I’m not one of those people. I find cilantro revolting. While some folks find it to be a pleasing combination of flavors reminiscent of parsley and citrus, I on the the other hand, can only taste dish soap.
Unfortunately for me, this particular herb is a common ingredient in many cuisines around the world, and some of them are my absolute favorites. Too many times my delicious salsa dip has been ruined for me with a heavy cilantro hand.
Oh, but I am definitely not alone. I have many like me including famously, none other than the chef Julia Child. Now, you may say that some of this dislike comes down to simple preference, but for those of us cilantro-haters for whom the plant tastes like soap, the issue is not in the taste palate, it’s actually genetic and I’ll have you know – it’s kind of a super power.
Dislike For Cilantro Is In Our Genes
For those of us who find the taste of cilantro to be “soapy” we have a variation in a group of our olfactory-receptor gene (OR6A2) that allows us to strongly perceive the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves. So no matter what your friends say, no you’re not imagining it if that’s what you taste.
This genetic quirk is usually only found in a small percent of the population. Interestingly, where the gene is found may vary geographically but in places where the herb is especially popular like Central America and India, there are far fewer people with these genes, which might explain how the herb was able to become such a mainstay in those regions.
East Asians have the highest incidence of this variation, with some studies showing that nearly 20% of the population experiences soapy-tasting cilantro. Which may explain why you don’t find a lot of it in your lo mein. Thankfully I might add. It kind of makes me nauseous just thinking about it.
There is some evidence that cilantrophobes can overcome their aversion with repeated exposure to the herb, especially if it is crushed rather than served whole, but many people simply choose to go with their genetic inclinations and avoid its soapiness altogether. I am one of those people as well. There’s nothing wrong with my sense of taste. Just don’t put cilantro on my food and everything will be ok!
