Table of Contents
- 1 What percentage of people think that cilantro tastes like soap?
- 2 What percentage of people have cilantro aversion?
- 3 Why does coriander taste like soap?
- 4 What does it mean when cilantro tastes like soap?
- 5 Can cilantro stop tasting like soap?
- 6 What ethnicity thinks cilantro tastes like soap?
- 7 Why do I Hate cilantro?
- 8 What is cilantro and what does it taste like?
What percentage of people think that cilantro tastes like soap?
When people say they hate cilantro, they often attribute this food feeling to a soapy aftertaste. Thanks to a new video from SciShow, we finally know why cilantro tastes like soap for some 4-14 percent of the population. “How cilantro tastes to you has a lot to do with your genes,” says SciShow’s Hank Green.
What percentage of people have cilantro aversion?
It has been estimated a strong aversion to cilantro impacts anywhere from 4 to 14 percent of the general population, reports New York Daily News. This aversion is more commonly found in some races and ethnicities than others.
Is cilantro tasting like soap genetic?
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.
Why does coriander taste like soap?
As many as one in five people says that coriander has a soapy taste. This is likely to be due to a super-sensitivity to chemicals called aldehydes, which are present in coriander and are also used to perfume soaps and detergents.
What does it mean when cilantro tastes like soap?
Are there Mexicans who don’t like cilantro?
The survey found that 14 percent of those with an African background didn’t like cilantro, 7 percent of those identifying as from South Asia didn’t like it, and only 4 percent of Hispanics said they couldn’t stand the herb.
Can cilantro stop tasting like soap?
Scientists think that it’s possible to overcome the aversion. Bruising the herb through crushing, mincing, or pulverizing (like in this Spicy Parsley-Cilantro Sauce recipe) releases some of the soapy-tasting enzymes. Cooking cilantro—instead of eating it raw—is also thought to reduce the soapiness.
What ethnicity thinks cilantro tastes like soap?
East Asians have the highest incidence of this variation, with some studies showing that nearly 20\% of the population experiences soapy-tasting cilantro.
Why does cilantro smell like soap?
Those who claimed that cilantro tastes like soap, had similarities in smell receptors that – surprise, surprise – are responsible for detecting the smell of soap. These subjects tended to share one particular gene which picks up the scent of various aldehyde chemicals. As scishow explains:
Why do I Hate cilantro?
Why you’re either a lover or a hater: People who strongly dislike cilantro are born with a genetic variant buried inside a cluster of smell-influencing genes. As with many other foods, the reason you hate (or love) the taste of cilantro is tied up with the reason you abhor (or adore) its smell.
What is cilantro and what does it taste like?
Cilantro contains a natural chemical compound, called an aldehyde, that can taste unpleasant to some people. Aldehydes are compounds that are also produced in the soap making process and by some insects. For this reason, some people describe the flavor of cilantro as soap-like or as tasting similar to a stink bug.
When does cilantro tastes like soap?
It all comes down to genetics. If cilantro smells or tastes like soap, it could be because you’re genetically made up to detect a certain chemical . Getty Images