There is nothing quite like adding some herbs and seasonings to your food to really kick things up a notch. Some people love doing it but others may hate it. That is especially true when it comes to certain herbs, including cilantro. There are people who can’t get enough of cilantro but others avoid it at all costs. It turns out, there is a reason why that is the case.
Just so we are on the same page, cilantro is the leafy green part of the coriander plant. The plant itself can also be used as a seasoning, but cilantro has a specific taste. It is used in a number of dishes, including those that are typically prepared in the Southwestern United States, Spanish countries and in Caribbean meat dishes. It is also commonly paired with chicken, steak, fruit salads and it may be used in dressings.
Considering the fact that cilantro is a traditional taco seasoning, how could anyone possibly hate the taste? Tacos are awesome, and most people would agree.
Why Do People Hate Cilantro?
There is actually a measurable, biological reason why certain individuals do not like the taste of cilantro.
According to a study performed at the National Twin Day Festival, 80% of identical twins shared their opinion of cilantro. What is interesting, however, is that only 50% of fraternal twins had the same taste preference. The results of this study show clearly that there may just be a genetic link involved.
A further study by genetics firm, 23andMe, polled 30,000 individuals to see if they liked cilantro or not. They also wanted to know what it tasted like to them and then they analyzed the subjects’ genomes.
According to the study, there were similarities in some groups of small receptor genes that were able to detect the smell of soap in those individuals who said that cilantro made salsa taste like bubble bath. Those individuals tended to share one particular gene, OR6A2, which is responsible for giving us the smell of aldehyde chemicals.
This video explains it further:
A Further Look at Aldehyde Chemicals
Aldehyde chemicals are organic molecules that include a carbon bonded to a hydrogen and double bonded oxygen. There are a number of different varieties of the chemical. Each aldehyde will have its own, distinctive smell and that includes cilantro.
Cilantro has more than one aldehyde that creates its distinctive smell, one that is also a byproduct of soapmaking.
The OR6A2 gene is the only one that seems to contribute to the this taste of cilantro. Scientists feel that there may be more involved, but we at least know that this gene plays a part in why cilantro may taste like soap to some individuals.
So, if you hear somebody complaining about the taste of cilantro, don’t be too quick to judge. They may not be picky eaters, they may have a biologically encoded distaste for it. There’s not much you can do about that!
Via: Tip Hero
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