This aversion is more commonly found in some races and ethnicities than others. A previous study found 21 percent of east Asians, 17 percent of people of European descent, and 14 percent of individuals of African ancestry to say they're not fans of cilantro.
In the 23andMe study, we found that 14-21 percent of people of East Asian, African, and Caucasian ancestry disliked cilantro while only 3-to-7 percent of those who identified as South Asian, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern disliked it.
“It may surprise you to learn that those who dislike cilantro tend to have a gene that detects the aldehyde part of cilantro as a soapy smell and taste,” Dr. Vyas says. Aldehydes are organic materials that possess a distinct chemical structure.
A high proportion of East Asians, Caucasians and individuals of African descent had never tried cilantro (27%, 16% and 31%, respectively); these groups also had the highest prevalence of dislikers. The proportion of individuals who would not try cilantro was highest among East Asians at 1.1%.
Bleeding disorders: Cilantro might slow blood clotting. There is concern that cilantro might increase the risk of bleeding in people with bleeding disorders when eaten in large amounts. Surgery: Cilantro might slow blood clotting.
It's in Your Genes
According to a genetic survey by researchers at Cornell University, there's a very specific gene that makes some people strongly dislike the taste of cilantro.
Famed chef Julia Child hated cilantro with an unbridled passion. She banned it from her home, her kitchen, and all of her sous chefs from using the herb.
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 them to strongly perceive the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves.
Researchers found an aversion to cilantro ranged from a low of 3 percent to a high of 21 percent among six different ethnic groups.
So how common is it to hate cilantro? According to one study, it can vary widely depending on your ethnic background, but the answer lies somewhere between 4-21% of the population.
Understandably, people with ethnic backgrounds which commonly use cilantro in their native cuisines are less likely to dislike cilantro. Those with Latin American, south Asian, and Middle Eastern backgrounds are far more likely to find cilantro pleasant than those of east Asian, European, and African descent.
And, as food scientist Harold McGee notes, learning to love cilantro is certainly possible. If you just can't overcome your dislike of cilantro or are cooking for someone who is cilantro-adverse, our Test Kitchen suggests swapping in Italian parsley for cilantro in your cooking so everyone can enjoy their meal.
Cilantro, famously, is a turn off for supertasters. They taste the bitterness in it that others do not. Supertasters are very averse to any kind of bitter tastes.
Cilantro and Coriander come from the same plant, Coriandrum sativum. In the US, the leaves are called Cilantro, while the dried seeds are called Coriander. In the UK and other European countries, both the dried seeds and leaves are known as Coriander.
In Italy, cilantro is referred to as coriandolo, and it is commonly used in Italian cooking. It is used to add flavor to a variety of dishes, from soups and sauces to fish and salads, and it has a bright, citrusy flavor that is often used to brighten up the taste of a dish.
Cilantro has found its home in Mexican cuisine. Its bright, fresh flavor blends perfectly with the bold flavors of popular Mexican dishes. Mexican dishes are often associated with spice, turning up the heat to provide an unmatched flavor profile.
Fresh or dried cilantro leaves are an essential ingredient in many Latin American, Caribbean, and Asian (especially Thai and Vietnamese) dishes. Cilantro is often added to Mexican salsas and meat dishes, and is used in some Chinese soups. Arabic cooking uses both leaves and seeds, in pickles, curries, and chutneys.
If you're interested in seeing whether you can get over your cilantro aversion, it's certainly possible. Just ask the neuroscientist in McGee's piece, who also happens to be an expert in smell. McGee notes that crushing cilantro may help eliminate its more soapy aroma substances.
The novel properties of cilantro make it a tasty, citrus-like herb as well as a source of anxiety relief, heavy-metal elimination, blood-sugar reduction, and defense against infection.
But why is coriander so divisive? Some people love it for its unique taste, while others hate it for its distinctive flavour, sometimes described as 'soapy' or 'sticky'. This split in taste perception can be explained by biological and genetic reasons, cultural differences and personal experiences.
The hate, it seems, stems from the chemicals inside cilantro and a variation in olfactory receptor genes that some people have. These individuals say that cilantro smells pungent and leaves a rather soapy taste in the mouth. This is different from the strong citrus notes that others taste.
Cilantro is said to have a fresh, citrusy, and/or soapy taste — depending on who you ask — and is also called Chinese parsley. Its seeds, on the other hand, are often referred to as coriander, which is a nutty- and spicy-tasting spice.
There is also some evidence that people who hate cilantro can overcome this distaste with repeated exposure to the herb — especially if it's crushed or minced. But many people choose to use parsley in place of cilantro instead to avoid the soapy taste all together.
His favorite fast-food order is a double cheeseburger "animal style" from In-N-Out.
"It is estimated that 4 to 14 percent of the U.S. population has this genetic variation, making cilantro taste like soap," says Chef Brooke Baevsky, a manager in product development at Freshly. "For everyone else, the leafy green tastes like a fresh herb."