Ewww, Cilantro

Tiffany Sun

June 13, 2025

Broccoli, oysters, white chocolate, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts are just a few foods that might make you cringe, whether it’s because of the texture, taste, or overall appearance. These aversions might be personal preferences that your elders shake their heads at, admonishing your picky nature and the fact that these foods are “healthy” and so you should eat them, but what if there was a food that, genetically, tastes disgusting for some people?

Cilantro—the leaves of coriander—actually, genetically, tastes like soap to a small group of people. No, it’s not just pickiness or personal preference; it’s an actual genetic mutation in a group of olfactory receptor genes, OR6A2, that allows the consumer to have a strong sensitivity to the soapy-flavored aldehydes (a class of organic compounds) present in cilantro. Surprisingly (or not if you don’t possess this gene), cilantro is supposed to taste fresh and somewhat citrusy. However, for those of us who possess the “soap” gene, the mere presence of cilantro in food will contaminate and permeate the entire dish with an unpleasant soapy flavor.

If we go back a couple more years, when soap wasn’t a common household item, the smell of cilantro was actually compared to that of a stink bug. Although the stink bug doesn’t smell like soap (for most, cilantro only tastes like soap), many comment that the stink of stink bugs mirrors the fresh, citrusy smell of cilantro because of the presence of the same aldehydes.

Unsurprisingly, regions where cilantro has risen to become a main herb and staple in its cuisine, such as Central America and India, sport fewer people with this genetic variation. Alternatively, East Asia has the largest percentage of people with this “soap” gene, with some studies measuring up to 20% of the population being affected.

Don’t fret, this soapy taste isn’t entirely insurmountable. Like most other disliked foods and phobias, the more you consume it, the more accustomed and familiar you will be with the taste, and thus, some people overcome their dislike for cilantro by regularly consuming it. Others suggest crushing up or cooking cilantro instead of consuming whole leaves, because enzymes within cilantro help break down the soap-tasting aldehydes. 

Whether you are a cilantro lover or a cilantro hater (because of the soap gene or not), don’t go to war over this topic, because conflicting opinions may well be due to a genetic variation not within our control or decision. Although it can be very annoying to bite into a burrito and receive a mouthful of soapy cilantro, or watch your steaming bowl of pho arrive only to notice, in horror, a sea of green cilantro blanketing the surface, this inherent aversion can be overcome with time, or some, like me, may choose to entirely avoid it. In many cuisines, cilantro isn’t a widely used herb, and so there still remain plentiful options of delicious food for everyone.