In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleThe Cilantro GeneWho Tastes Soap?Are You A Supertaster?Cilantro Tolerance Tips
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
The Cilantro Gene
Who Tastes Soap?
Are You A Supertaster?
Cilantro Tolerance Tips
ClosePhoto: Getty ImagesPeople often assume that my life as a food writer, recipe developer and recipe tester must be one of constant deliciousness. And while there are times that can feel true, a life focused on food can have its problems. For me, one of those problems is that I am a supertaster. And despite that sounding fun — after all, it has super right in the title — it actually is a serious detriment to my work. The short version is that I have significantly more taste buds than the average person. More taste buds mean that I taste things more intensely and often differently than non-super tasters might. Bitter flavors can be more bitter, minerality can be intensified, and there are many foods that I simply cannot eat.Supertasters are never identical with what they do and don’t enjoy. And I have always wondered if my aversion to cilantro, which has always tasted soapy to me, was related to my supertasting. But my mom, who is definitely not a supertaster, also thinks cilantro tastes like soap, so what gives?Is There a Gene That Makes Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?Since I am a supertaster and Mom is not, it made me wonder if the supertasting wasn’t actually causal, but rather just an annoying coincidence. Turns out, genetics do play a part. We all have smell-receptor gene clusters that sense the presence of certain chemicals. Individuals who taste soap, instead of a fresh citrusy flavor have a mutation on an olfactory receptor gene that has a high binding capacity for the natural chemicals in cilantro.So, for those of us who have a certain gene cluster, we find those chemicals to be very assertive, hence the soapy flavors coming through. While there are a couple of other genes that can contribute to the phenomenon, they tend to bring forward the bitter taste rather than the smell factor. Unsurprisingly, the populations with the smallest numbers of people with the anti-cilantro genes are in areas that tend to use a lot of cilantro in their cooking, like Mexico and India.What Percentage of the Population Thinks Cilantro Tastes Like Soap?Somewhere between 4 and 14 percent of the U.S. population find cilantro to be soapy on the palate.So while it isn’t rare, it is a small percentage of people. Sometimes it can seem as if there are more of us, but frankly, I think it is just because we tend to be very vocal about it. After all, a mere scattering of chopped leaves can turn the entire meal into an inedible experience, and none of us want our beautiful dinner to become the equivalent of a Tide Pod challenge. (PSA Also, never do that.)Are You a Supertaster if Cilantro Tastes Like Soap?The answer can be yes and no. About 25 percent of the population are thought to be supertasters. So obviously, while you can be both a supertasterandaverse to cilantro, like me, you can also just have the anti-cilantro thing, like my mom. There is clearly some overlap, but in and of itself, an aversion to cilantro does not necessarily indicate supertasting, and you would need to do further exploration to determine if you are one, or both. And the level varies greatly.Because there is not just one gene involved, the severity of cilantro aversion seems to vary from person to person. While I think cilantro tastes of soap, if it is used in cooking rather than raw, and in minimal amounts, I can tolerate it. And in my own cooking, especially for Indian or Mexican dishes, I will use a combination of minced cilantro stems and chopped parsley leaves to give a hint of the flavor without that soapy punch. But for many, any amount of cilantro is just too much.Can You Do Anything About It If Cilantro Tastes Like Soap to You?If you think cilantro tastes soapy, there are some things you can do. Some say that you can help to mitigate the impact with regular exposure, so if you want to build up some tolerance, you can start adding some amounts of cilantro to your cooking and ramp it up as you begin to tolerate it better.You can also do as I do, working with cilantro stems and not leaves, as I find those much less soapy. And parsley is a fine substitution in many dishes if you don’t want to get anywhere near cilantro.Luckily, it is just the fresh plant that tastes of soap, so you can still use coriander seeds, which are the dried seeds of the cilantro plant, without any ill effect. I will sometimes add crushed coriander seeds todisheswhere I have eliminated cilantro, just to add a bit of the earthy notes back.The Bottom LineIf you think cilantro tastes like soap, at least you now know it is genetic! Some people who think cilantro tastes like soap are supertasters, but not all are. If you’re willing to give cilantro a try, use it indressings,hummusor in amain dish.Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmitSourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Spence C.Coriander (cilantro): a most divisive herb.Int. J. Food Sci.2023;33. doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100779Song X, Wang J, Li N, et al.Deciphering the high-quality genome sequence of coriander that causes controversial feelings.Plant Biotechnol J. 2020;18(6):1444-1456. doi:10.1111/pbi.13310
Close
Photo: Getty Images
People often assume that my life as a food writer, recipe developer and recipe tester must be one of constant deliciousness. And while there are times that can feel true, a life focused on food can have its problems. For me, one of those problems is that I am a supertaster. And despite that sounding fun — after all, it has super right in the title — it actually is a serious detriment to my work. The short version is that I have significantly more taste buds than the average person. More taste buds mean that I taste things more intensely and often differently than non-super tasters might. Bitter flavors can be more bitter, minerality can be intensified, and there are many foods that I simply cannot eat.Supertasters are never identical with what they do and don’t enjoy. And I have always wondered if my aversion to cilantro, which has always tasted soapy to me, was related to my supertasting. But my mom, who is definitely not a supertaster, also thinks cilantro tastes like soap, so what gives?Is There a Gene That Makes Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?Since I am a supertaster and Mom is not, it made me wonder if the supertasting wasn’t actually causal, but rather just an annoying coincidence. Turns out, genetics do play a part. We all have smell-receptor gene clusters that sense the presence of certain chemicals. Individuals who taste soap, instead of a fresh citrusy flavor have a mutation on an olfactory receptor gene that has a high binding capacity for the natural chemicals in cilantro.So, for those of us who have a certain gene cluster, we find those chemicals to be very assertive, hence the soapy flavors coming through. While there are a couple of other genes that can contribute to the phenomenon, they tend to bring forward the bitter taste rather than the smell factor. Unsurprisingly, the populations with the smallest numbers of people with the anti-cilantro genes are in areas that tend to use a lot of cilantro in their cooking, like Mexico and India.What Percentage of the Population Thinks Cilantro Tastes Like Soap?Somewhere between 4 and 14 percent of the U.S. population find cilantro to be soapy on the palate.So while it isn’t rare, it is a small percentage of people. Sometimes it can seem as if there are more of us, but frankly, I think it is just because we tend to be very vocal about it. After all, a mere scattering of chopped leaves can turn the entire meal into an inedible experience, and none of us want our beautiful dinner to become the equivalent of a Tide Pod challenge. (PSA Also, never do that.)Are You a Supertaster if Cilantro Tastes Like Soap?The answer can be yes and no. About 25 percent of the population are thought to be supertasters. So obviously, while you can be both a supertasterandaverse to cilantro, like me, you can also just have the anti-cilantro thing, like my mom. There is clearly some overlap, but in and of itself, an aversion to cilantro does not necessarily indicate supertasting, and you would need to do further exploration to determine if you are one, or both. And the level varies greatly.Because there is not just one gene involved, the severity of cilantro aversion seems to vary from person to person. While I think cilantro tastes of soap, if it is used in cooking rather than raw, and in minimal amounts, I can tolerate it. And in my own cooking, especially for Indian or Mexican dishes, I will use a combination of minced cilantro stems and chopped parsley leaves to give a hint of the flavor without that soapy punch. But for many, any amount of cilantro is just too much.Can You Do Anything About It If Cilantro Tastes Like Soap to You?If you think cilantro tastes soapy, there are some things you can do. Some say that you can help to mitigate the impact with regular exposure, so if you want to build up some tolerance, you can start adding some amounts of cilantro to your cooking and ramp it up as you begin to tolerate it better.You can also do as I do, working with cilantro stems and not leaves, as I find those much less soapy. And parsley is a fine substitution in many dishes if you don’t want to get anywhere near cilantro.Luckily, it is just the fresh plant that tastes of soap, so you can still use coriander seeds, which are the dried seeds of the cilantro plant, without any ill effect. I will sometimes add crushed coriander seeds todisheswhere I have eliminated cilantro, just to add a bit of the earthy notes back.The Bottom LineIf you think cilantro tastes like soap, at least you now know it is genetic! Some people who think cilantro tastes like soap are supertasters, but not all are. If you’re willing to give cilantro a try, use it indressings,hummusor in amain dish.Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmitSourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Spence C.Coriander (cilantro): a most divisive herb.Int. J. Food Sci.2023;33. doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100779Song X, Wang J, Li N, et al.Deciphering the high-quality genome sequence of coriander that causes controversial feelings.Plant Biotechnol J. 2020;18(6):1444-1456. doi:10.1111/pbi.13310
People often assume that my life as a food writer, recipe developer and recipe tester must be one of constant deliciousness. And while there are times that can feel true, a life focused on food can have its problems. For me, one of those problems is that I am a supertaster. And despite that sounding fun — after all, it has super right in the title — it actually is a serious detriment to my work. The short version is that I have significantly more taste buds than the average person. More taste buds mean that I taste things more intensely and often differently than non-super tasters might. Bitter flavors can be more bitter, minerality can be intensified, and there are many foods that I simply cannot eat.Supertasters are never identical with what they do and don’t enjoy. And I have always wondered if my aversion to cilantro, which has always tasted soapy to me, was related to my supertasting. But my mom, who is definitely not a supertaster, also thinks cilantro tastes like soap, so what gives?Is There a Gene That Makes Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?Since I am a supertaster and Mom is not, it made me wonder if the supertasting wasn’t actually causal, but rather just an annoying coincidence. Turns out, genetics do play a part. We all have smell-receptor gene clusters that sense the presence of certain chemicals. Individuals who taste soap, instead of a fresh citrusy flavor have a mutation on an olfactory receptor gene that has a high binding capacity for the natural chemicals in cilantro.So, for those of us who have a certain gene cluster, we find those chemicals to be very assertive, hence the soapy flavors coming through. While there are a couple of other genes that can contribute to the phenomenon, they tend to bring forward the bitter taste rather than the smell factor. Unsurprisingly, the populations with the smallest numbers of people with the anti-cilantro genes are in areas that tend to use a lot of cilantro in their cooking, like Mexico and India.What Percentage of the Population Thinks Cilantro Tastes Like Soap?Somewhere between 4 and 14 percent of the U.S. population find cilantro to be soapy on the palate.So while it isn’t rare, it is a small percentage of people. Sometimes it can seem as if there are more of us, but frankly, I think it is just because we tend to be very vocal about it. After all, a mere scattering of chopped leaves can turn the entire meal into an inedible experience, and none of us want our beautiful dinner to become the equivalent of a Tide Pod challenge. (PSA Also, never do that.)Are You a Supertaster if Cilantro Tastes Like Soap?The answer can be yes and no. About 25 percent of the population are thought to be supertasters. So obviously, while you can be both a supertasterandaverse to cilantro, like me, you can also just have the anti-cilantro thing, like my mom. There is clearly some overlap, but in and of itself, an aversion to cilantro does not necessarily indicate supertasting, and you would need to do further exploration to determine if you are one, or both. And the level varies greatly.Because there is not just one gene involved, the severity of cilantro aversion seems to vary from person to person. While I think cilantro tastes of soap, if it is used in cooking rather than raw, and in minimal amounts, I can tolerate it. And in my own cooking, especially for Indian or Mexican dishes, I will use a combination of minced cilantro stems and chopped parsley leaves to give a hint of the flavor without that soapy punch. But for many, any amount of cilantro is just too much.Can You Do Anything About It If Cilantro Tastes Like Soap to You?If you think cilantro tastes soapy, there are some things you can do. Some say that you can help to mitigate the impact with regular exposure, so if you want to build up some tolerance, you can start adding some amounts of cilantro to your cooking and ramp it up as you begin to tolerate it better.You can also do as I do, working with cilantro stems and not leaves, as I find those much less soapy. And parsley is a fine substitution in many dishes if you don’t want to get anywhere near cilantro.Luckily, it is just the fresh plant that tastes of soap, so you can still use coriander seeds, which are the dried seeds of the cilantro plant, without any ill effect. I will sometimes add crushed coriander seeds todisheswhere I have eliminated cilantro, just to add a bit of the earthy notes back.The Bottom LineIf you think cilantro tastes like soap, at least you now know it is genetic! Some people who think cilantro tastes like soap are supertasters, but not all are. If you’re willing to give cilantro a try, use it indressings,hummusor in amain dish.
People often assume that my life as a food writer, recipe developer and recipe tester must be one of constant deliciousness. And while there are times that can feel true, a life focused on food can have its problems. For me, one of those problems is that I am a supertaster. And despite that sounding fun — after all, it has super right in the title — it actually is a serious detriment to my work. The short version is that I have significantly more taste buds than the average person. More taste buds mean that I taste things more intensely and often differently than non-super tasters might. Bitter flavors can be more bitter, minerality can be intensified, and there are many foods that I simply cannot eat.
Supertasters are never identical with what they do and don’t enjoy. And I have always wondered if my aversion to cilantro, which has always tasted soapy to me, was related to my supertasting. But my mom, who is definitely not a supertaster, also thinks cilantro tastes like soap, so what gives?
Is There a Gene That Makes Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?
Since I am a supertaster and Mom is not, it made me wonder if the supertasting wasn’t actually causal, but rather just an annoying coincidence. Turns out, genetics do play a part. We all have smell-receptor gene clusters that sense the presence of certain chemicals. Individuals who taste soap, instead of a fresh citrusy flavor have a mutation on an olfactory receptor gene that has a high binding capacity for the natural chemicals in cilantro.
So, for those of us who have a certain gene cluster, we find those chemicals to be very assertive, hence the soapy flavors coming through. While there are a couple of other genes that can contribute to the phenomenon, they tend to bring forward the bitter taste rather than the smell factor. Unsurprisingly, the populations with the smallest numbers of people with the anti-cilantro genes are in areas that tend to use a lot of cilantro in their cooking, like Mexico and India.
What Percentage of the Population Thinks Cilantro Tastes Like Soap?
Somewhere between 4 and 14 percent of the U.S. population find cilantro to be soapy on the palate.So while it isn’t rare, it is a small percentage of people. Sometimes it can seem as if there are more of us, but frankly, I think it is just because we tend to be very vocal about it. After all, a mere scattering of chopped leaves can turn the entire meal into an inedible experience, and none of us want our beautiful dinner to become the equivalent of a Tide Pod challenge. (PSA Also, never do that.)
Are You a Supertaster if Cilantro Tastes Like Soap?
The answer can be yes and no. About 25 percent of the population are thought to be supertasters. So obviously, while you can be both a supertasterandaverse to cilantro, like me, you can also just have the anti-cilantro thing, like my mom. There is clearly some overlap, but in and of itself, an aversion to cilantro does not necessarily indicate supertasting, and you would need to do further exploration to determine if you are one, or both. And the level varies greatly.
Because there is not just one gene involved, the severity of cilantro aversion seems to vary from person to person. While I think cilantro tastes of soap, if it is used in cooking rather than raw, and in minimal amounts, I can tolerate it. And in my own cooking, especially for Indian or Mexican dishes, I will use a combination of minced cilantro stems and chopped parsley leaves to give a hint of the flavor without that soapy punch. But for many, any amount of cilantro is just too much.
Can You Do Anything About It If Cilantro Tastes Like Soap to You?
If you think cilantro tastes soapy, there are some things you can do. Some say that you can help to mitigate the impact with regular exposure, so if you want to build up some tolerance, you can start adding some amounts of cilantro to your cooking and ramp it up as you begin to tolerate it better.
You can also do as I do, working with cilantro stems and not leaves, as I find those much less soapy. And parsley is a fine substitution in many dishes if you don’t want to get anywhere near cilantro.
Luckily, it is just the fresh plant that tastes of soap, so you can still use coriander seeds, which are the dried seeds of the cilantro plant, without any ill effect. I will sometimes add crushed coriander seeds todisheswhere I have eliminated cilantro, just to add a bit of the earthy notes back.
The Bottom Line
If you think cilantro tastes like soap, at least you now know it is genetic! Some people who think cilantro tastes like soap are supertasters, but not all are. If you’re willing to give cilantro a try, use it indressings,hummusor in amain dish.
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Spence C.Coriander (cilantro): a most divisive herb.Int. J. Food Sci.2023;33. doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100779Song X, Wang J, Li N, et al.Deciphering the high-quality genome sequence of coriander that causes controversial feelings.Plant Biotechnol J. 2020;18(6):1444-1456. doi:10.1111/pbi.13310
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Spence C.Coriander (cilantro): a most divisive herb.Int. J. Food Sci.2023;33. doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100779Song X, Wang J, Li N, et al.Deciphering the high-quality genome sequence of coriander that causes controversial feelings.Plant Biotechnol J. 2020;18(6):1444-1456. doi:10.1111/pbi.13310
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Spence C.Coriander (cilantro): a most divisive herb.Int. J. Food Sci.2023;33. doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100779Song X, Wang J, Li N, et al.Deciphering the high-quality genome sequence of coriander that causes controversial feelings.Plant Biotechnol J. 2020;18(6):1444-1456. doi:10.1111/pbi.13310
Spence C.Coriander (cilantro): a most divisive herb.Int. J. Food Sci.2023;33. doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100779
Song X, Wang J, Li N, et al.Deciphering the high-quality genome sequence of coriander that causes controversial feelings.Plant Biotechnol J. 2020;18(6):1444-1456. doi:10.1111/pbi.13310
