301847 Tue Apr 11 19:42:53 -0700 2006 92 29 Not About Food 0 1685545 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%? Tue Apr 11 19:42:53 -0700 2006 0 peg 1 1685548 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. Tue Apr 11 20:16:10 -0700 2006 1685545 0 loveskittles 2 3761893 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. Sun Jun 08 19:56:54 -0700 2008 1685548 18222 maria lorraine 1 1685549 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 Tue Apr 11 20:25:49 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Candy 1 1685551 No soap (radio) for me - I love the stuff. But I've never seen a percentage for the cilantro-as-soap tastebud. Anne Tue Apr 11 20:30:23 -0700 2006 1685545 0 AnneInMpls 2 1685555 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. Tue Apr 11 20:55:48 -0700 2006 1685551 0 Steve S. 3 1685677 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 Wed Apr 12 19:02:14 -0700 2006 1685555 0 AnneInMpls 1 1685554 70% love cilantro. The remaining 30% [clearly the minority] have malfunctioning tastebuds. The variance is ±7%. Tue Apr 11 20:47:55 -0700 2006 1685545 0 The Ranger 2 1685569 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 Tue Apr 11 23:58:19 -0700 2006 1685554 0 rworane 3 1685585 OMG - I am speechless. Thanks to both of you for the stats (made up or not!). Wed Apr 12 01:49:01 -0700 2006 1685569 0 peg 3 1685856 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-big-cilantro-question!!-do-you-LIKE-or-DISLIKE-the-taste-of-cilantro---2438.html Fri Apr 14 13:11:08 -0700 2006 1685569 0 rworange 4 1685930 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! Fri Apr 14 22:43:20 -0700 2006 1685856 0 peg 5 1685946 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... Sat Apr 15 01:48:05 -0700 2006 1685930 0 susancinsf 6 1685977 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. Sat Apr 15 13:48:21 -0700 2006 1685946 0 Snackish 6 1685985 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. Sat Apr 15 15:22:14 -0700 2006 1685946 0 janet of reno 6 1685987 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. Sat Apr 15 16:31:22 -0700 2006 1685946 0 Ruth Lafler 5 3767851 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. Tue Jun 10 14:19:25 -0700 2008 1685930 11701 MrsT 6 3777548 Not soap, moth balls. Definitely smells and tastes like moth balls. Fri Jun 13 09:12:35 -0700 2008 3767851 160677 morwen 4 3760476 Of course people who don't like cilantro are more likely to vote--its an interesting issue to them. Sun Jun 08 09:28:00 -0700 2008 1685856 36661 Sam Fujisaka 5 3760492 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 :) Sun Jun 08 09:36:57 -0700 2008 3760476 57170 Veggo 6 3760563 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". Sun Jun 08 10:11:52 -0700 2008 3760525 57170 Veggo 7 3761142 your final utterance will be "cilantro"? that's hardcore. then again, i've been known to eat basil sandwiches. Sun Jun 08 14:34:33 -0700 2008 3760563 102095 vvvindaloo 1 1685557 Soap first time I tasted it, then slid gracefully into what I taste now. Initial dislike, followed by interest, then delight. Tue Apr 11 21:45:15 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Will Owen 2 3760413 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. Sun Jun 08 08:58:16 -0700 2008 1685557 109552 garfish 2 3761336 Initial soap, now love! Sun Jun 08 16:01:37 -0700 2008 1685557 92744 invinotheresverde 2 3771732 what Will said. Wed Jun 11 15:36:42 -0700 2008 1685557 86137 purple goddess 1 1685559 Love it, love it, love it! Tue Apr 11 22:26:48 -0700 2006 1685545 0 twinmommy 1 1685561 a vote for soap... Tue Apr 11 22:43:39 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Emme 1 1685571 Love cilantro; suprised to find someone who remembers LifeBuoy! Bob Wed Apr 12 00:04:31 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Sony Bob 1 1685574 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. Wed Apr 12 00:18:21 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Niki Rothman 2 1685685 I think ginger is another one... it also tastes like soap to me. Wed Apr 12 20:40:58 -0700 2006 1685574 0 Emme 1 1685578 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'! Wed Apr 12 00:46:19 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Rose 2 1685605 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. Wed Apr 12 11:11:14 -0700 2006 1685578 0 CulinaryKate 3 3759954 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. Sun Jun 08 01:41:29 -0700 2008 1685605 161585 miss_bennet 1 1685589 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. Wed Apr 12 07:13:34 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Erica 1 1685590 Another soapy mouthful... Wed Apr 12 07:51:01 -0700 2006 1685545 0 ld 1 1685592 Soapy taste here. Same for my husband. Wed Apr 12 08:49:09 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Dev 1 1685598 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. Wed Apr 12 10:50:44 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Foodie2 1 1685599 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. Wed Apr 12 10:52:57 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Karen 1 1685601 soap, fiance and his family taste the dirty socks. Wed Apr 12 10:54:17 -0700 2006 1685545 0 belle 1 1685606 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. Wed Apr 12 11:15:30 -0700 2006 1685545 0 CulinaryKate 2 1685705 Hey, don't blame the chef - it's genetic. Thu Apr 13 05:11:23 -0700 2006 1685606 0 Caitlin McGrath 1 1685607 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? Wed Apr 12 11:17:29 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Rosie Posie 2 1685615 I experience the soapy ginger taste, too, in sushi restaurants! Wed Apr 12 11:42:49 -0700 2006 1685607 0 Karen 3 1685686 Another vote for soapy ginger... and as a side note, the blue SweeTTarts are also ginger flavored and taste like soap! Wed Apr 12 20:43:03 -0700 2006 1685615 0 Emme 2 1685663 The pickled ginger in sushi restos tastes like soap to me. Not fresh ginger, though, and I adore cilantro. Wed Apr 12 17:04:34 -0700 2006 1685607 0 DanaB 2 1685681 Lavender tastes like soap to me, but that might be because I sometimes use lavender-scented soap... Anne Wed Apr 12 19:52:12 -0700 2006 1685607 0 AnneInMpls 2 1685927 No, no, sushi ginger tastes like air freshener! Fri Apr 14 22:01:24 -0700 2006 1685607 0 BW 3 3763927 I agree, pickled ginger tastes like perfume to me. Mon Jun 09 12:20:57 -0700 2008 1685927 194222 LaurCar 1 1685625 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 Wed Apr 12 12:36:35 -0700 2006 1685545 0 sivyaleah 1 1685640 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 Wed Apr 12 13:37:26 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Vero Art 2 1685656 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. Wed Apr 12 15:38:02 -0700 2006 1685640 0 Foodie2 1 1685823 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... Fri Apr 14 08:57:52 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Jimmy Buffet 2 1685859 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. Fri Apr 14 13:22:30 -0700 2006 1685823 0 rworange 3 1685929 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. Fri Apr 14 22:34:32 -0700 2006 1685859 0 peg 3 1686012 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? Sat Apr 15 22:25:05 -0700 2006 1685859 0 Niki Rothman 2 1685926 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. Fri Apr 14 21:58:47 -0700 2006 1685823 0 BW 1 1685826 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. Fri Apr 14 10:04:54 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Joy 2 3759960 "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! Sun Jun 08 01:51:11 -0700 2008 1685826 161585 miss_bennet 1 1685895 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. Fri Apr 14 17:39:27 -0700 2006 1685545 0 jbw 1 1686035 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... Sun Apr 16 16:15:54 -0700 2006 1685545 0 Gooseberry 1 3759950 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&q=Beta-phellandrene+%2B+soap ---- EVERYTHING in Cilantro is used to make soap! Sun Jun 08 01:25:18 -0700 2008 1685545 198863 ChiMoHe 1 3759967 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. Sun Jun 08 02:10:02 -0700 2008 1685545 146405 stricken 1 3760228 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. Sun Jun 08 07:07:55 -0700 2008 1685545 93805 hannaone 1 3760236 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. Sun Jun 08 07:18:43 -0700 2008 1685545 110426 Boccone Dolce 1 3760336 My husband and I taste soap. Sun Jun 08 08:25:34 -0700 2008 1685545 169792 lgss 1 3760399 I like Cilantro, but I do not like Tarragon. Sun Jun 08 08:51:21 -0700 2008 1685545 22220 Kelli2006 1 3760443 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 :) Sun Jun 08 09:11:09 -0700 2008 1685545 57170 Veggo 1 3760522 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. Sun Jun 08 09:51:17 -0700 2008 1685545 184055 beelzebozo 1 3761152 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. Sun Jun 08 14:41:53 -0700 2008 1685545 156760 karmalaw 1 3763631 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. Mon Jun 09 11:11:23 -0700 2008 1685545 159317 greygarious 1 3763777 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. Mon Jun 09 11:45:37 -0700 2008 1685545 194222 LaurCar 2 3763866 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). Mon Jun 09 12:02:26 -0700 2008 3763777 156760 karmalaw 3 3764404 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. Mon Jun 09 14:13:42 -0700 2008 3763866 194222 LaurCar 1 3763926 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. Mon Jun 09 12:20:44 -0700 2008 1685545 13819 Karl S 1 3764039 love cilantro - no soap taste to me - but I might call it a clean flavor. Mon Jun 09 12:49:49 -0700 2008 1685545 168212 PaulaT 1 3766266 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! Tue Jun 10 07:37:21 -0700 2008 1685545 50431 chef chicklet 1 3768986 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. Tue Jun 10 21:10:02 -0700 2008 1685545 74556 manraysky 1 3769172 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. . .. Tue Jun 10 23:04:16 -0700 2008 1685545 116395 anzu 1 3770733 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. Wed Jun 11 11:24:36 -0700 2008 1685545 120708 dorilou 2 3771160 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!! Wed Jun 11 13:03:35 -0700 2008 3770733 18222 maria lorraine 3 3771723 Coconut defiantly tastes like soap to me, and my mom feel that way, but my daughter loves coconut. Wed Jun 11 15:33:14 -0700 2008 3771160 22220 Kelli2006 2 3771578 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. Wed Jun 11 14:43:57 -0700 2008 3770733 157998 Petrichor 3 3777658 Interesting. My father is another "cilantro tastes like soap" person, and he also hates celery. Fri Jun 13 09:37:21 -0700 2008 3771578 10159 Ruth Lafler 3 3785542 Just an additional note....I also enjoyed the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans--soap flavor. Mon Jun 16 15:13:27 -0700 2008 3771578 157998 Petrichor 1 3777873 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. Fri Jun 13 10:28:30 -0700 2008 1685545 10532 LindaWhit 1 3778136 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. Fri Jun 13 11:41:42 -0700 2008 1685545 138816 jlafler 1 3778947 I don't taste soap. It's like a tangier version of parsley to me. Fri Jun 13 15:49:34 -0700 2008 1685545 16363 mogo 2 3779869 Ivory Soap here! Sat Jun 14 05:24:42 -0700 2008 3778947 10581 Linda VH 1 3779912 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. Sat Jun 14 06:08:48 -0700 2008 1685545 75268 smittys 1 3780304 I taste soap, but I love cilantro. Sat Jun 14 10:01:15 -0700 2008 1685545 64882 Vetter 1 3788511 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? Tue Jun 17 13:38:47 -0700 2008 1685545 111207 rweater 1 3902006 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.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/25/BAU211TSBA.DTL ---- "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. Fri Jul 25 14:36:44 -0700 2008 1685545 18222 maria lorraine