Good Question: Why Do Some Of Us Dislike Cilantro?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's Cinco De Mayo: a big day for salsa, guacamole and cilantro. But, studies have shown up to 14 percent of people don't like the taste of the green part of the coriander plant.
So, why don't some of us like cilantro? Good Question.
There are Facebook pages, blogs and shirts dedicated to the "I Hate Cilantro" cause. Even Julia Child said once about the herb, "I would pick it out if I saw it and throw it on the floor."
Experts have looked at this exact question and found one good reason for part of it -- our genes.
They've found a lot of people with an aversion to cilantro carry a group of olfactory-receptor genes (OR6A2) that help them pick up on the smell of certain aldehyde chemicals.
It's those chemicals that are also found in soap.
Given a good chunk of how we taste is associated with smell, it would make sense why some people think cilantro takes like soap. But, experts warn, there's still a lot to learn about the science of hating cilantro.
