Quick Cilantro Tasting Question - what percentage taste soap?

[peg]

I perused the lengthy threads, but didn't find any approximate percentage of those unfortunate folks who can't taste the bright sharp flavor, and instead taste LifeBuoy...a person I know on another board asked, since he's a Soap Guy. He'd never heard this before, and thought it a revelation.

Any more-or-less hard numbers, or just an anecdotal 15% - 20%?

[loveskittles]

The first time I had a salsa with cilantro in it, I had no idea what it was and thought they had spilled Ivory liquid in it.

[maria lorraine]

Both soap and cilantro contain the powerful fragrance linalool. See below.

The selective hypersensitivity to the smell may be genetic-based. Smell hypersensitivities often are.

[haggisdragon]

maria lorraine's objective post is all we need to know really. It tastes like soap because it has some of the same stuff in it that soap has. I love cilantro AND I recognize the soapy taste/fragrance. I appreciate complexity that the herb brings to a dish when it is used judiciously. Its just like a classic gewurzstraminer where the soapy nose/flavour is sought after. I wouldn't enjoy chomping on a bar of Irish Springs though.

[vorpal]

Agreed! I thought I was the only one who tasted the soapiness in cilantro and had learned to love it. (It did take a bit of effort, but now I'm quite a fan.)

[Candy]

Soap to me unless the food is really really spicy, then I can appreciate it. I will never forget the time in the 80's when cilantro was the darling herb of all of the young chefs. We were at the Lake Placid Lodge having lunch on the deck and I ordered gaspacho which was loaded with the nasty stuff. I was totally ruined. Of course if the gaspacho was a Mexican dish it might have belonged, but being Spanish it was totally wrong. Ruined the whole lunch for me. I could not get that taste out of my mouth

[AnneInMpls]

No soap (radio) for me - I love the stuff. But I've never seen a percentage for the cilantro-as-soap tastebud.

Anne

[Steve S.]

I haven't heard someone use the punchline "no soap, radio" (other than myself) in at least 30 years. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Where did you first hear it?

I transitioned from tasting the soap to not. So now I adore cilantro.

[AnneInMpls]

I've spent a lifetime absorbing trivia, so I can't remember when I first heard it. But now I simply can't use the phrase "no soap" without adding "radio".

It's the first time I've used this phrase to describe how cilantro tastes to me, though!

Anne

[The Ranger]

70% love cilantro. The remaining 30% [clearly the minority] have malfunctioning tastebuds. The variance is ±7%.

[rworane]

You know, I don't know if you just made this up, but this is about what I found googling. There are no real scientific facts, just a few references.

And the other theory is what you said ... malfunctioning tastebuds ... supposedly some people have a genetic problem with cilantro and usually based on race with Europeans being the most likely to carry the gene that makes cilantro taste bad.

This was the most credible report on that (scroll down):

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Cori_sat.html

This was just a fun cilantro fact site that I came across

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/coriander.htm

The only statistics were pie graphs from a site on what cilantro tastes like

Link: http://www.ihatecilantro.com/stats.php

[peg]

OMG - I am speechless. Thanks to both of you for the stats (made up or not!).

[rworange]

Found the site below where people can vote if they like cilantro or not. The results so far with a limited audiance is

43% - Like it
57% - Hate it

I think beside the limited sampling, the cilantro haters are a lot more vocal and passionate, so the results might be skewed in that sense.

You don't see the results until you vote.

Also, found an actual study about cilantro and genetics.

It studied "the ability to taste PTC and a preference for or against cilantro flavor"

The results were:

"Contrary to our hypothesis there does not seem to be a strong polarity in cilantro taste preference. And while the pedigrees do not illustrate a clear genetic mechanism to tasting cilantro they do show that attributing a bitter flavor to cilantro seems directly inherited."

Scroll down or do a find for 'cilantro'

http://www.doane.edu/Dept_pages/phy/mindexpo/Abstracts2004.htm

Link: http://www.qsample.com/micropoll/the-...

[peg]

Thanks. That's pretty much what I was looking for.

With other herbs that some people seem to strongly dislike - fennel seed, tarragon, lavender - there is a common denominator. Lavender is too strong and sort of musty-tasting, reminiscent of Grandma's linen closet, and those who hate licorice usually hate fennel seed and tarragon, as well, for obvious reasons. But cilantro? Not at all the same.

Thanks to all for your heartfelt responses and input. I think this is genuinely fascinating!

[susancinsf]

Interesting, because as an aside, I can't STAND tarragon, but love licorice and fennel seed...morover, I don't think tarragon tastes at all like the other two, so am scratching my head at the statement 'for obvious reasons'. I am assuming they are related, but never realized that before seeing this post (?)

of course, hubby claims the only reason I hate tarragon is that some places got into using way too much of it in years past...but that's another story...

[Snackish]

I agree completely. Tarragon tastes terrible to me, but licorice and fennel are some of my favorite flavors. I cannot stand anything flavored with or smelling of lavender, though.

[susancinsf]

since this thread has been bumped anyway, let me say: lavender. yuck. IMO it isn't a food (though I don't mind lavender scented soap).

[LindaWhit]

So no Herbs de Provence for you, susan? I agree it can be *very* strong on its own and has to be used very judiciously, but I do like a bit of lavender in an Herbs de Provence blend.

[janet of reno]

I don't think your hubbie's theory is totally right. After all, I can't stand tarragon either. Never have liked it. There has to be something genetic going on there; our mother certainly never used it in cooking so you can't say its nurture. (For those who are scratching their head at this, Susan is my natural clone, ie my identical twin). And yes, I do like anise and licorice and fennel seed.

[Ruth Lafler]

Tarragon definitely tastes licorice-like to me: like a combination of anise and fresh-mown grass. I like the licorice/fennel/anise family but only in small doses. You're right that tarragon when overused can be unpleasant -- all of those substances can be overpowering if not used judiciously.

I'm on the "love it" side with cilantro, but my Dad has the "tastes like soap" reaction. I can actually perceive the soap flavor faintly, but not enough for it to be unpleasant.

[vorpal]

Tarragon absolutely tastes like black licorice to me, and somewhat similar to fennel and anise, although more subdued and "dusty", for lack of a better word. I love all three.

Lavender, on the other hand, is revolting, as is chamomile. Ick.

[MrsT]

Wow, never noticed a connection between fennel seed/ tarragon licorice and lavender. I hate them all. Although I am tolerant of some fennel seed in sausage as long as I don't bite into a seed. I also can't stand star anise.

I also thought I was the only one that thinks cilantro tastes like soap. I don't hate it, but I can live without it.

[morwen]

Not soap, moth balls. Definitely smells and tastes like moth balls.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Of course people who don't like cilantro are more likely to vote--its an interesting issue to them.

[Veggo]

Sure, this poll is fraught with type # 2 statistical error- human error- but fun, nevertheless.
And when the little people in your surroundings use off-color language, you can be green and P.C. by telling them that next time you will wash their mouth out with cilantro :)

[Veggo]

I err on the side of cilantro. I'll defend it's worthiness and protect it's rightful regal station, until my final utterance, which will not be "Rosebud", but will be "Cilantro".

[vvvindaloo]

your final utterance will be "cilantro"? that's hardcore.
then again, i've been known to eat basil sandwiches.

[bob3443]

I can not argue with your numbers, but I do take umbridge as to your statement that we have malfunctioning tastebuds. I have been in the hotel and restaurant business for better than half a century and I assure that my tastebuds are as acurate today as they were when I first started out in my field of endevour.

[Will Owen]

Soap first time I tasted it, then slid gracefully into what I taste now. Initial dislike, followed by interest, then delight.

[garfish]

Amen. I always feel like I'm missing out on something when I don't like it at first. So I have to keep going back until I get it.

[invinotheresverde]

Initial soap, now love!

[purple goddess]

what Will said.

[green56]

Ditto.

[vorpal]

Same here. I didn't realize there were quite a few others who felt the same way. I still get a bit of a soapy taste, but I've learned to pick out other flavours in it and I l love it.

Then again, I adore Kava, which tastes quite soapy, too.

[twinmommy]

Love it, love it, love it!

[Emme]

a vote for soap...

[Sony Bob]

Love cilantro; suprised to find someone who remembers LifeBuoy!
Bob

[Niki Rothman]

Wow! This is big news to me. I have heard of other foods, and I can't remember what they are, can anyone else(?), where a certain percentage of people taste one flavor and others taste something different. Cilantro creeps me out big time. It especially bugs me how it seems to be constantly dragged into schizophrenic fusion concoctions with other trendy incongruous ingredients. I like it in a nice pico de gallo salsa cruda with jalapenos, lime juice, tomatoes and onion - but that is the ONLY thing it should ever be used for! There oughta be a law.

[Emme]

I think ginger is another one... it also tastes like soap to me.

[LolaP]

I've heard that red food dye is one of the ones some people can taste and others can't. For me, red frostings, etc. have a very bitter taste. But I love cilantro! One thing I don't care for very much is saffron. It tastes just like bleach to me.

[Rose]

Funny. My ex insisted that cilantro tasted like soap, and refused to eat Mexican food of any type, in any restaurant. He went so far as to insist that people who liked cilantro had malfunctioning tastebuds, instead of the other way around.

I still love cilantro. Ole'!

[CulinaryKate]

Though I doubt that the Cilantro controversy had anything to do with the fact that he's an ex-boyfriend, one of the things that bugs me about my current boyfriend (whom I love dearly) is is aversion to cilantro.... and his entire family's aversion to it. I guess I'm a little less hound-y and a little more snobby than I'd like.

[miss_bennet]

I wouldn't call it snobby. My bf's the same way, and it's just a royal pain to leave it out of the cooking process and always have it on the side. It's one of the few things he won't eat.

[Erica]

I once mistakenly bought cilantro, thinking it was flat leaf parsley and used it in chicken soup I made from scratch, meaning I made my own broth and made soup from that. Had to throw the entire pot out because of the soapy taste. Expensive lesson learned.

[ld]

Another soapy mouthful...

[Dev]

Soapy taste here. Same for my husband.

[Foodie2]

Soap! I've tried so hard to get over it, and the few posters who mentioned having hated it at first and now love it have given me hope. I don't mind it in Indian cilantro chutney, not quite sure why.

[Karen]

Ex-BF and I used to joke that it tasted like dirty socks which was a problem living in L.A. where it was so prevalent. Had no idea others had the same problem with the taste not being right.

[belle]

soap, fiance and his family taste the dirty socks.

[CulinaryKate]

I love the stuff (though didn't at first, but I was 12... 12 year olds rarely like good things). The head chef at a fairly well acclaimed restaurant I used to work in thought the stuff tasted like soap... so I guess even the best of us have our downfalls.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Hey, don't blame the chef - it's genetic.

[Rosie Posie]

Hmm, non-soapy here, love cilantro. However my friend swears sushi ginger tastes exactly like soap to her and hates the stuff. Works great for me, I love ginger and eat mine and hers as well.

Is there something to this? Are there more foods that bring up the "soapy taste" to some people?

[Karen]

I experience the soapy ginger taste, too, in sushi restaurants!

[Emme]

Another vote for soapy ginger... and as a side note, the blue SweeTTarts are also ginger flavored and taste like soap!

[DanaB]

The pickled ginger in sushi restos tastes like soap to me. Not fresh ginger, though, and I adore cilantro.

[AnneInMpls]

Lavender tastes like soap to me, but that might be because I sometimes use lavender-scented soap...

Anne

[BW]

No, no, sushi ginger tastes like air freshener!

[LaurCar]

I agree, pickled ginger tastes like perfume to me.

[vorpal]

Thirded.

I'm having an incredibly hard time imagining tasting soap when eating ginger, fresh or pickled.

[sivyaleah]

2 more "love it" here - my husband and I really love the flavor from the first time we tried it, neither of us ever thought it "soapy". I go totally overboard with it sometimes if I'm only cooking for the two of us. Others in our families tend to agree with the unusual taste aspect of it.

Laurie

[Vero Art]

To me, the only taste worse than the soapiness of cilantro is the metallic "clang" of bleu cheese. I wonder how many of the cilantro-haters feel this way. Art

[Foodie2]

Hate cilantro, LOVE blue cheese. Cilantro is the only food item I've come across (other than raw onions, but that's not a genetic thing) that I have such a visceral and strong reaction to.

[gmm]

I can deal with cilantro in salsa as long as it's not in huge pieces, but blue cheese is one thing I absolutely cannot eat. It just tastes like mold to me and is probably the one thing I have to spit out if I accidentally eat it. The first time I ever had it was at a work luncheon where the salads came predressed and I thought it was ranch and took a bite. I honestly thought there had to be soap on the greens or plate.

[magnusfl]

Cilantro still tastes very much like soap to me even though I be exposed to it for 40 years but it alone as I love most other food incuding fennal taragon blue chesse

[chef chicklet]

Yes it does taste like soap to me too, and I for some reason love it. It brings back so many memories....

[Jimmy Buffet]

For me, it is the worst tasting stuff I have ever eaten. And there are few foods I don't like or won't eat. I'm inclined to say it tastes like s**t but I have never partaken.

Just a tiny sprig of it in something makes me want to heave. I can't see how anyone likes this stuff, but I'd love to know what cilantro tastes like to those who have "the right stuff" for enjoying cilantro...

[rworange]

I was thinking about that and most web sites say that cilantro tastes like a mix of parsley and citrus.

At first the citrus reference seemed wrong, but I think that description is right on. It is not as strong a flavor as parsley ... maybe closer to Italian parsley and it does have a lemon/lime note to it. It tastes fresh, which means nothing, but it has a brigher flavor.

Someone mentioned that they hate cilantro except in a chutney. I say go with that and it will up your tolerance to cilantro.

I was strongly in the hate camp until I got hooked on bahn mi. For some reason, loved it in the Vietnamese sandwiches. Maybe the combination with the other ingrediants. Until then, it tasted like metal to me. Now I love the stuff and could eat it straight.

My own theory is there is some sort of immunity built up rather than genetics. It is like getting a flu vaccine. You build up tolerance. The 'genetically' pre-disposed to hating it seems to apply to cultures that don't normally incorporate cilantro in their traditional dishes. Being of Polish ancestry, my people don't know nothing about no cilantro.

[peg]

My ancestry is Swedish and German; I have never had to acquire a taste for it. It doesn't taste at all metallic or soapy to me. My SO is of German ancestry, and doesn't eat much Mexican, Thai, or Vietnamese food, certainly not nearly enough to develop a tolerance for it; he evidently tastes it exactly as I do.

To the poster who wistfully asked what it tastes like to those without the genetic marker: it has a bright and savory flavor, rich, slightly sharp, slightly reminiscent of parsley but not nearly as bitter, with a subtle undertone or orange or tangerine (not lemon or lime-y). The citrus note seems much more prevalent in the home-grown stuff, so it may be something that dissipates with storage.

[vorpal]

I'm amazed to hear people describe cilantro as being less flavourful in many ways to parsley. Both my husband and I have talked about parsley and neither one of us finds that it has virtually any flavour at all, and certainly nowhere near as much as cilantro.

[Niki Rothman]

Hold on rw, you just got me thinking. Isn't cilantro the leaf of the coriander plant? And don't we Eastern European types use a lot of coriander seed - like in pickling? (for cucumber pickles and corned beef) So how come our ancestors never incorporated the leaves into the cuisine if they obviously had access to them?

[BW]

I've said that cilantro is not so much a taste as "a way of breathing." Very hard to describe, but I love it and I don't think any other food is quite like it.

[Joy]

Cilantro tasted *very* strongly of soap to me until my mid-20s or so. I didn't know anybody else tasted it that way, but when I asked around I was told it was genetic, so I thought I was stuck hating it. But in experimenting with various foods I couldn't completely avoid it. Gradually it started tasting just bland to me, so I stopped avoiding foods that had it, and then it started tasting good. Now I *love* it. It tastes bright and zingy to me, and I experiment with replacing it for parsley in almost any recipe.

A number of others have also posted that they are former soap-tasters, so I know I'm not the only one. Of course, this would suggest that it's NOT genetic.

[miss_bennet]

"A number of others have also posted that they are former soap-tasters, so I know I'm not the only one. Of course, this would suggest that it's NOT genetic"

That's what I was going to say! If we can grow out of it, it can't be genetic. I agree with the flu vaccine theory. With increased exposure, people (like me) can grow to love cilantro with anything. Of course, there are people with compromised immune systems who could die after getting a flu vaccine. I'm just so happy I'm not one of the haters anymore!

[jbw]

Not quite soap for me, but somewhere between "medicinal and metallic." I've been working on it, tho, and large bowls of pho with gradual infusions of fresh cilantro (always removed before eating) seem to finally be working.

[Gooseberry]

I think everyone has certain flavours they just can't stomach. Mine's the combination of allspice, nutmeg and pumpkin pie.

I don't see why some of this can't be genetic-based. Research has been done into asparagus and the 'smelly pee' phenomenon it triggers. It found that only some people actually produced this scent after eating asparagus, and only some people were capable of smelling the odour. So if you think your pee smells funny after eating asparagus, you are not only capable of producing the scent, but unfortunately able to smell it, too.

Funny things, genes...

[ChiMoHe]

I did a google search for: cilantro + chemical + composition
and came across a list at

http://www.botanical-online.com/medicinalscoriandersativumangles.htm

Then did a google search for each acid and oil with + soap

Here are the results
---------------------
Components:

Acids:

- linoleic, - antiarthritic, hepatoprotective, anticancerigenous, hypocholesterolemic.
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Limonene+%2B+soap

- oleic - anticancerigenous, hypocholesterolemic., antialopecic.
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=oleic+%2B+soap

- palmitic - hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, antialopecic
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=palmitic+%2B+soap

- stearic - hypocholesterolemic (Fruits
)>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=stearic+%2B+soap

- petroselinic
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=petroselinic+%2B+soap

- ascorbic - antibacterial, antiulceric, antiatherosclerotic, antihypertensive, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiscorbutic, hypocholesterolemic, anticold, antitumoral, vulnerary.( Leaves
)>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ascorbic+%2B+soap

Essential oil, rich in:

- Cineole: antibacterial, anti- rheumatic, antiseptic, antiulceric, choleretic
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Cineole+%2B+soap

- Borneol: antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, hepatoprotective.
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Borneol+%2B+soap

- Camphene: antioxidant, expectorant
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Camphene+%2B+soap

- Citronelol: antiseptic
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Citronelol+%2B+soap

- Coriandrol: anticonvulsant
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Coriandrol+%2B+soap

- Geraniol: anticancerigenous, expectorant, antiseptic, antimelanomic, antispasmodic..
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Geraniol+%2B+soap&btnG=Search

- Limonene: antibacterial, anticancerigenous, antiespasmodic, expectorant.
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Limonene+%2B+soap

- Linalool: anticancerigenous, antiespasmodic, antihistaminic, hypnotic.
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Linalool+%2B+soap

- Alpha-pinene: antibacterial, antiinflammatory, expectorant, anticancerigenous.
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Alpha-pinene+%2B+soap

- Beta-pinene: antiinflammatory, antispasmodic
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Beta-pinene+%2B+soap

- Beta-phelandrene: fungicide
>>>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&am...

----

EVERYTHING in Cilantro is used to make soap!

[stricken]

I have a really good sense of taste. I do taste the similarities between soap and cilantro. I would describe cilantro as very fresh tasting. It is no way as unpleasant as soap, and I can neither eat asian food nor mexican food without it.

[hannaone]

LoL
It took me years to discover that certain restaurants really did rinse their dishes after washing. I bad mouthed quite a few places and told some managers that they needed make sure their dishwashers rinsed ALL the soap off the dishes/containers.
Then I had pho for the first time and discovered that the soap taste was actually cilantro.

[Boccone Dolce]

I always thought it tasted like Barbie Doll hair.
A few years ago I finally "got it" and in the right foods, it adds something herby that I don't hate.

[lgss]

My husband and I taste soap.

[Kelli2006]

I like Cilantro, but I do not like Tarragon.

[Veggo]

I am 99 & 44 one hundredths in favor of.....CILANTRO. I love it, the poor, persecuted, innocent, harmless, critical ingredient of Robert Lauriston's rice....
But here's an idea for the monitors when they encounter a poster using off-color language: tell them to go wash their mouths out with cilantro :)

[beelzebozo]

i too had an initial distaste for it, but have grown to love it. occasionally my favorite local mexican joint will add a bit too much to the salsa and it gives everything a bit of a soapy taste, but generally speaking i think cilantro is a linchpin in mexican dips (salsa, guacamole, etc). a guacamole without cilantro is just an evil, evil dip.

[karmalaw]

I loathed it when I first had it.. it made me nauseated to smell it... then something happened.. one day I had some in particularly good salsa that a friend urged me to taste and I discovered that my loathing had turned to love.. there's two huge bunches of it in my fridge right now... there's never too much of it!

So there's hope for the haters.

[greygarious]

To me, there's an anise-like taste to a spectrum running from parsley > tarragon > cilantro > fennel > licorice, and I loathe all of it. Love pickled ginger, though. Years ago, when I was introduced to Thai food, I discovered that I love canned jackfruit, although I'll admit it smells funny (you probably wouldn't ever try Thai food if you smelled a bottle of fish sauce first). I gave a can to a friend, and was both surprised and crushed when he found it sickening. Taste buds are quirky but we all know that WE have the right ones, no? Chacon a son gout! The very basic "supertaster" test is interesting. Mix a packet of saccharin into 2/3 cup of tepid water and taste. If it's very sweet, you are an undertaster (people with a sweet tooth). If it's a blend of sweet and bitter, you are an average taster and if it is bitter you are a supertaster who probably finds many sweet foods to be too sugary. Google "supertaster" for info on this.

[LaurCar]

I think it taste like soap.

Unless it's a minor player in a heavy hitting recipe, I cannot stand it. I always sub in parsley in my recipes.

[karmalaw]

and, oddly, I loathe curly parsley (and the places that think I want it tossed chopped up all over the top of my food) -- it's too bitter. Italian Parsley is okay to me -- in specific dishes.

Fresh dill can be used as a "zing" herb to replace cilantro for those that really hate cilantro -- you won't get the same flavor, but you will get a zing of freshness that will compensate for the missing cilantro (i.e. in a freshly made salsa).

[LaurCar]

go figure - my husband thinks I do a parsley overkill in many of my dishes. (I always use Italian Flat Leaf). He thinks parsley tastes bitter and really strong in amounts larger then a teaspoon finely chopped), while I think it tastes fresh and zingy.

[Karl S]

About 25% is what I've read before. I am one of that 25%.

Anyway, the best non-parsley substitute for cilantro is celery leaves.

[PaulaT]

love cilantro - no soap taste to me - but I might call it a clean flavor.

[chef chicklet]

Never soap, just fresh.

But the smell, the smell reminds me of when I was little and we were living in Seattle area, under the ferns is where I'd be playing, and I smell cilantro!

[manraysky]

LOVE cilantro.

The first time I heard someone say it tastes like soap, I thought they were crazy. I since learned, of course, that it tastes like that to some people. So interesting to me.

[anzu]

How about "when I eat it or smell it, I get the same sensation as I do when I get chlorine up my nose?" I can't quite describe my strong aversion against it except that it's less taste (it probably tastes like soap, but I don't know, b/c my problem is that my aversion is much more visceral) and more a sensation I experience.

It might be psychosomatic, but I am so sensitive to it that I have to pick out every single little shard that comes in Mexican, Indian, etc.

As I posted somewhere, I have tried many times to get acclimated to this herb (b/c quite frankly, having this strong of an aversion is a royal pain in the ass. I can't eat salsa, for example), but every time, my nose starts to furl, I get that unpleasant chlorine-up-my-nose feeling, etc.

I don't think I have an allergy to it, b/c coriander seed is totally fine. It's just the green stuff that I find absolutely vile.

It is probably genetic, b/c my entire family hates it. In fact, 90 percent of my Japanese friends also detest it as much as I do, b/c I 've been in eating situations w/ a few of them, and they go through the same cilantro-picking-out ritual that I do, when the cooking staff don't bother listening to your instructions in which you mention cilantro in 10 different languages, just to cover your grounds. I found one person who is "indifferent" to it.

Woe is I. . ..

[LolaP]

I love cilantro, but for me, saffron has that bleach-y quality. Just....not good. Very chlorine-scented. I have never met any one else with this aversion to saffron.

[dorilou]

Does anyone get the soap taste from foods other than cilantro? I have tried mango many, many times and no matter what, it tastes like soap to me.

[maria lorraine]

My grandmother always said coconut tasted like soap, and she had a fantastic palate. If this selective soapiness hypersensitivity is genetic -- and it is my belief that many hypersensitivities are -- it wasn't passed on to me: I love coconut! Bring on the macaroons!!

[Kelli2006]

Coconut defiantly tastes like soap to me, and my mom feel that way, but my daughter loves coconut.

[Petrichor]

Celery tastes like soap to me, as does cilantro. However, it's a mild soapy taste and doesn't bother me at all---I love cilantro--probably the smell more than the taste, even. It doesn't smell like soap to me, though.

[Ruth Lafler]

Interesting. My father is another "cilantro tastes like soap" person, and he also hates celery.

[Petrichor]

Just an additional note....I also enjoyed the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans--soap flavor.

[LindaWhit]

I'm in the soapy camp when it comes to cilantro. I can deal with minute amounts of it, but anything more...ick.

Love lavender, tarragon, fennel seed in appropriate quantities...too much tarragon can be overpowering.

[jlafler]

I have a friend who, whenever someone said they didn't like cilantro, would say "oh, that's genetic." And I would always add, "no, whether it tastes like soap or not is genetic; whether you like it or not is a matter of taste." There seem to be a number of people here who get the soapy taste and still like cilantro, and I'm sure there must be people who don't perceive the soapy taste, but still don't like it.

[mogo]

I don't taste soap. It's like a tangier version of parsley to me.

[Linda VH]

Ivory Soap here!

[smittys]

Cilantro doesn't taste like soap to me, although the first time I really came into contact with it, my friend had me chop up a whole bunch to use in salsa, and I couldn't get the smell off my hands and hated it...it took me a long time to recover from that, but now I love it. Green tic tacs, however (the dark green ones, not the light green) taste like soap. And lemony pastries and desserts usually make me think of dish detergent.

[Vetter]

I taste soap, but I love cilantro.

[rweater]

I don't like cilantro. I'm not sure I would classify it as being soapy, but it's not something I like. I've also heard the "genetic" theory. Why do people who dislike a certain food need to be special? Why can't they just dislike a food and leave it at that?

(like Smittys, I've disliked it since I cooked with it for the first time and couldn't get rid of the smell on my hands)

That rant aside...Recently, I ate at a great taqueria and ordered fajitas. I was a little apprehensive when they arrived, loaded with cilantro. Still, I continued on. For some reason, they tasted delicious. Is it possible that when mixed with the right spices or flavors that the nasty taste some people notice goes away? Is it possible that when counter-balanced with the right flavors it's neutralized and that lots of American cooks who use cilantro simply don't know how to accomplish this?

[maria lorraine]

Ah, you may be interested in this article today in the San Francisco Chronicle, on the
"International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste - a gathering in San Francisco of 1,000 leading international scientists who study these two mysterious and vital senses."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article...

----

"Leslie Vosshall, a researcher at Rockefeller University, noted that about 500 active human genes are associated with different olfactory receptors, specialized cells that provide signals for each note in our sense of smell. But individuals vary considerably in how they perceive the same odor - and those differences may be linked to which of these genes individuals carry. Individuals may differ in both how intensely an odor is perceived, and whether that odor is perceived as pleasant or awful.

Vosshall noted that some people perceive the smell of cilantro as "vile and soapy," while others sniffing the same scent describe it as "fresh and herbal."

-----

Write Vossholl at Rockefeller University for the precise cilantro statisitcs, if you want to chase the info that far.

[bob3443]

Cilantro I guess is historically an Asian or Mexican type of ingredient--at least that is where I most often see its usage. Why it should appear in very other cuisine makes no sense at all. I have cookbooks that are up to 150 years old and in none of them have I ever found cilantro as an ingredient. Being part of the coriander plant doesn't make it any better, because that also has a very odd taste. This stuff has a horrible taste of soap. There are enough people in the world who have a dislike for it that any recipe that calls for cilantro or coriander should give some sort of alternative.

I might add, that like the kid in "The Christas Story", I too am a connoisseur on the various tastes of different bars of soap---and none of the bars that I had to sample tasted as bad as cilantro!!!

[cinnamon girl]

I get a faint soapy-citrusy whiff if I bury my nose in a whole clump of it and inhale deeply. Tastes lovely to me though.

[Phurstluv]

That is all I can smell and taste - overpowering. Don't like it unless it's mixed in like, salsa.

[Cookiephage]

The only thing that tastes scarier than cilantro is celery. or chives. or cheese. Funny how they all begin with "c"...

[hye]

I also don't like the taste of celery - but I love chives and cheese (sometimes together!).

Cilantro doesn't taste soapy to me, but it has a very strong flavor (along with the other Parsleys) and I feel it could be used in much lower quantities.

[vorpal]

I'm still amused by this: my husband and I both agree that parsley is so flavourless (flat leaf and curly) that there's no point in using it in recipes that call for it as it contributes little other than colour and a mild freshness. We usually don't bother with it, viewing it as a waste of money.

[Karl S]

Oh, for me, parsley (especially flat leaf), has a lot of flavor.

[RAGHOUND]

We have a friend in the restaurant business who describes cilantro thus - "looks like parsley, tastes like s&&t"!

[vorpal]

Haha! That reminds me of my friend, who coincidentally hates almost all yellow foods: lemons, bananas, pineapple, corn, etc! She swears it's coincidental and has nothing to do with the colour yellow.

[hsk]

I love it. I know lots of people that hate it, but I'm not sure whether it's because it tastes soapy to them.

[Masonville]

What an inspired Q. I happen to be on the "yes I like it--side of this", but my wife and stepdaughter loathe cilantro--tho I've never specifically asked about the soap taste. Actually, this sounds like a question worthy of scientific inquiry. Who knows what the results might indicate--beyond de gustibus non disputandum.

[jarona]

Ahhhh...when I was a young girl, and misbehaved, my mother would wash my mouth out with ivory soap. I'm not kidding--NOW I know why I love ANYTHING with Cilantro!

[RAGHOUND]

Boy, were you lucky. My mother used Fels Naptha! I can't stand cilantro.

[browniebaker]

Yes, it tastes of soap to me.

[guy_incognito]

For those who get a soapy taste........do you get a similar reaction with coriander? Just wondering, coriander is the fruit (seeds) on the same plant. It has a similar citrus flavor to it.

[Karl S]

Ground coriander seeds do not have nearly the same level of problem as the green leaves and stems. Decenal - the fatty aldehyde that appears to create the soapy taste for people with the enzyme problem in the palate - is present in abundance in the raw leaves and stems before fruiting (most herbs are harvested before flowering or fruiting because their flavor declines after such), but much less in the fruit and once dried or cooked.

[sniz]

I get the soapy taste, and I've noticed that beer that's flavored with coriander seeds is usually undrinkable for me. Belgian white ales in particular. Yesterday I tried Sam Adams Lemon Pepper Saison, and it had the flavor. Wikipedia notes that American brewers commonly use coriander seeds in saison. If anyone wants to test this, try Hoegaarden white ale. I know this sounds really nasty, but imagine what 3 day old urine might taste like.. basically it tastes to me like that smell.

[junescook]

Your answers may be skewed because your meethods are not scientific, i.e., your sample is not random, (and your question is a bit biased as well.) So those who dislike cilantro may be more inclined to respond than those who love it, or who simply are OK with it.

(I love it),

[Cookiephage]

In a NYTimes article today, there was a discussion about how vocal people are when they do not like cilantro. It offers a theory that the intensity of the dislike is directly linked to how we have developed strong associations to smells and tastes that have been vital to our adaptation and survival to today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/din...

I really like the suggestion at the end to cook the cilantro to break down some of the soapy-taste enzymes. Maybe I can learn to like it, or at least try to dislike it less.

[Thanks4Food]

I hate cilantro but I can't honestly say that I think "soap" when I taste it. I think "yuk!" I really hate it when restaurants drown dishes in cilantro--or when I order something that shouldn't have cilantro and then find the chef got creative and sprinkled it all over the dish to make it pretty.

At an excellent Mexican restaurant in San Diego one of my friends derided me before the waitress and everyone else for not liking cilantro. She went on and on and I wanted to kill her. When she finally finished, the waitress said quietly, "I don't like cilantro all that much either." I told my husband to give her a BIG tip.

[emilyjh75]

HATE it. It tastes more metallic than soapy to me. I can choke it down if it's being served to me at someone's home, but for hours afterward, I feel like I've been sucking on pennies. YUCK. Once my dad invited me to supper at his house, and I walked in the door and smelled the cilantro in the soup he was cooking. I was like "oh man..." and just ate enough to be polite.

(And to answer someone else's question, I like coriander in small amounts. It does not have that taste to me.)

[bob3443]

It is interesting to me that most people who dislike cilantro, say it thaste like soap. I TOO AGREE!!! I don't even recall cilantro being used in recipes until about 10 to 15 years ago. It seems now that it is used in any cuisine you would care to mention. I thought it was basicaly used in Mexican cuisine. As far as I am concerned,it ruins the taste of everything in which it is used. I wish someone could suggest something to substitute for it. I specifically mean an ingredient that can be used in all the different cuisines that call for cilantro.

[velochic]

Actually, it's used a LOT in Middle Eastern and Indian, as well. My dh is from the Middle East and he pretty much introduced me to using it in cooking. He's in his upper 50's and was cooking a while as a bachelor, so he has a lot of great recipes from his mother from back home that use cilantro (which he actually calls coriander). I have applied it elsewhere with great success (we all like it in my family), but it's actually a very, very ancient herb and used widely in the world outside of Mexico/Latin cuisine.

For substitution, I have used parsley in the Middle Eastern recipes that call for it. If I am making a dish that will be shared among colleagues or a group where there is a known cilantro-hater, parsley in small quantities seems to work fine.

As for coriander... I don't taste the difference. It's the same plant as cilantro, just that it's gone to seed and flowers. Just as when my chives bloom or my parsley flowers, I don't taste a difference in the leaves themselves. I have an extensive herb garden, so my herbs do go to seed around this time of year and I'll soon put the bed to rest for the winter. I don't notice a great difference throughout the summer, although in spring the plants are simply more tender.

[MaxSeven]

I can taste what you describe as a "bright, sharp flavor" - but it is good and I like that flavor. I eat Cilantro right off the stem when I am cooking with it. I also like the fragrance, which is similar to roses and detergent. There really isn't any reason to dislike it, even if Cilantro is thought to taste and smell like soap, cleaning agents or bugs. Incidentally, that's another smell that people associate with Cilantro: bugs. They can give off that aldehyde aroma if you have ever smelled a bunch of insects concentrated in an area. In my opinion, any aversion to Cilantro is completely mental, in that the brain rejects it, because it is associated with consuming dangerous substances like soap chemicals, insects or dirt. In reality though, it is a clean, fresh taste to me - enjoy it! This reminds me of people saying that Rosemary tastes like pine needles - I like the smell of pine needles, don't you?

[Cheeryvisage]

I remember hating cilantro with passion when I was little. My mom always added a generous amount of it in wonton broth. At the same time, wonton was one of my favorite foods. I used to pick off all the cilantro and just eat the wontons. Yet gradually, I grew to tolerate cilantro and now I adore it.

However, I really dislike parsley. It just tastes like grass to me. I subsitute parsley with cilantro in all Italian recipes.