Food preferences bring out fun banter, and that’s especially true when it comes to cilantro.
They surveyed 30,000 people and used the results to look for common genetic traits.
Their finding: A specific geneOR6A2may determine your relationship with cilantro.
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This may be why, anecdotally, some people think that cilantro tastes like soap.
(And if they knew what bugs tasted like, perhaps they’d also draw that comparison.)
A study in the journalFlavourfound that people from specific geographic regions are more apt to dislike the food.
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But bitter isn’t necessarily a “safe” taste.
That’s also the case for cilantrowhich is often described as bitter and even metallic.
But a negative first experience with cilantro doesn’t mean you’ll never grow to appreciate it.
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If you want to like this leafy herb, keep trying it.
Crush It First
Consider crushing it before you add it to a food.
Unfamiliar foods may reinforce the negative experience.
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However, each new positive experience with it will change the way the food is coded in your memory.
You may begin to appreciate it.
Lots of dishes can be made without it, and you’ll never know what you’re missing.
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Caraway
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Caraway and coriander are almost interchangeable.
Best Substitutes for Fresh Cilantro
Fresh cilantro is prized for its zippy citrus tang and grassy freshness.
To mimic this characteristic, look for these fresh herbs instead.
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Parsley
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Grassy and green, parsley is a very close cousin to cilantro.
(They’re often mistaken for one another in the supermarket.)
Use just a little; it’s quite potent.
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Add more if it’s not vibrant enough.
Erikkson N, Wu S, Do CB.A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference.ArXiv.
2012:1209.2096. doi:10.48550/arXiv.1209.2096
Mauer L, El-Sohemy A.Prevalence of cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) disliking among different ethnocultural groups.Flavour.
2010;58(2):1093-1099. doi:10.1021/jf901463p
