New & NowCilantro
We Know (Some) People Hate Cilantro, but Why?
by Valerio Farris
• March 14, 2018
• 22 Comments
It’s not news that cilantro is divisive. By now, we know the drill: For some it’s grassy and spicy, for others it tastes like eating a bar of soap. Cilantro haters are a vocal bunch (an estimated 4-14% of the population), so against the herb that they can’t even bear the tiniest taste. And yet, do we know why?
The most cursory explanations boil it down to a genetic mutation, but is there more we have yet to understand? What exactly is a genetic mutation? What causes it and where does it exist? So many questions, so little time. If you, like me, are the inquisitive type, then look no further than this video explainer. It comes to us from PBS and their Reactions videos, a series that peels back the curtain on what we know, using a scientific lens. They break down the cilantro aversion on a chemical level, and what they find might surprise—or confuse—you. See for yourself:
So there you have it. There’s a lot of science talk, and it’s quite possible you’ve never heard of a single-nucleotide polymorphism or aldehydes before. That’s totally fine, I hadn’t either. It seems that a mutation on a gene found on the 11th chromosome might cause cilantro haters to experience certain alkanals, chemical compounds that carry scent, differently from the rest of us cilantro-loving folk. Why this manifests as distinctly soapy is still beyond scientists. At least now I can kind of explain what makes people hate the taste of cilantro so much. The lingo may be a bit over my head, but that’s what science is for, right?
Which side are you on? Tell us where you stand in the comments below.
Comments (22)
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I wanted to bad to like cilantro. I have tried for years...it always tastes like Palmolive dish soap. It makes me gag. It doesn't matter if it is stems or leaves. What is even more frustrating is when you go to a restaurant you've eaten at for more than a decade and someone in the kitchen randomly decided that every dish needed an absurd amount (like 4 cups) of cilantro.
Saving the day, micro cilantro!!! Easy to use, none of the big stems, bit of a softer flavor. Will win over anyone who doesn't already love cilantro!
As a child and teen, I distinctly remember loathing cilantro and yes, it DID taste soapy to me. But somewhere around my 30's, I began loving the stuff and still do currently, in my 50's. Go figure.
I love it. My spouse hates it.
Good to learn about the genetic sides of it.
Thanks Food52, I always love your newsletters!
Hate. It. Really can not tolerate even the tiniest amounts. I’m the only one in my family with this affliction as well, so they don’t understand at all. Thanks for the explanation!
I don’t hate cilantro, I just don’t care for it. It doesn’t taste like soap to me and I leave it out when called for in a recipe or sub in parsley.
PHIL is a trusted home cook.
There is also the expression an "acquired taste" Sometimes the more you eat something the more you become familiar with it and enjoy it.
It's too bad, cilantro is a favorite of mine! People either love or hate.
HalfPint is a trusted home cook.
Cilantro flavor is composed of alkanals (aldehyde compounds). Soap has a similar aldehyde structure on one end of its molecular chain. That's why cilantro can taste like soap.
June is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Sorry, but if you don't know why you must have been on another planet. Not meaning to be snarky, but it is generally well known that is a genetic thing for about 10% of the population.
Lord knows I've been trying to like it for more than THREE decades, but it still and always tastes like metalicky, soapy ugh. There are very few foods I don't "like." And yes, over time, I have grown to like some of them. But cilantro has been a constant no-go for as long as I can remember.
PHIL is a trusted home cook.
I think people's tastes can change over time. I have become a fan of it now but used to think it was soapy at first.
True enough- body chemistry can change too; there's a long list of foods that pregnant women tend to develop aversions to, but other physical conditions- including age- can induce changes.
I love cilantro! Growing up in Panamá we use it in a lot of our Latin dishes. You have the have this to make recaito a base flavor for soups and black beans. I make big batches of recaito and freeze it into cubes. Here is my recipe for recaito: https://ethnicspoon.com...
I also believe it is a hereditary trait, my dad, myself and my son are all cilantro dislikers due to the soapy flavor...
Used to detest it as a child (frankly it was more the feeling of having the wilted leaves curl up around your tongue while slurping up Indian dishes), but can't live without it now..
I used to hate cilantro and think it tasted like soap, but then in my twenties I suddenly loved it. It can't just be genetics. My genes didn't change.
It could be that you have damaged some of your taste buds. An example is an older smoker that uses LOTS of hot sauce on food.
I'm 100% sure that's not it. I'm a young non-smoker who doesn't use lots of hot sauce, and I can taste cilantro just fine. I know what it tastes like to me now, which is pretty much the same as how it tasted before, only now I like that flavor instead of hating it.
Soap? Ever crushed, or eaten, a stink bug when picking berries? The offensive smell they excrete is how cilantro smells and tastes to me. I really wish I could "get used to it" but it literally ruins a dish for me.
the funny thing is the smell of stink bug reminds me of exactly cilantro and yet I love the smell and taste of cilantro.
Cilantro smells very unique compared to other herbs, but I like it anyway. Maybe I actually have the mutation that is supposed to dislike it, but I actually enjoy the soapy smell?
I've always wondered why some people hated cilantro. I thought they were sociopathic freaks, but now I know they have a genetic abnormality, bless their hearts ;)
It's not really science if you don't understand it- it's just "I'll take your word for it".
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