Some people despise the taste of Cilantro. to them, it tastes like soap. Luckily, I don't have this trait, but I know some of my family members do. There is an answer for that, and that is because of genetics. Certain groups of people are more sensitive to the soapy taste, specifically 20% of East Asians have been reported to have this trait. other groups of people are less sensitive to the taste, specifically people of European origin/culture.
The gene called OR6A2 causes certain people to be very sensitive to aldehydes. The soapy tastes come from a genetic variant, known as SNP near chromosome 11. Mose people do not have the OR6A2 gene, which causes cilantro to taste normal. Unlike any fixed gene though, the hatred for cilantro can sometimes be altered through constant exposure to it. With constant exposure, your brain can overcome it's dislike for cilantro. But that does not apply to everyone.
I find it very interesting that a gene can cause something such as cilantro to taste like soap to others. As someone who works at a Mexican grill, we work with cilantro in most of our ingredients and I eat it regularly. There is nothing about cilantro that tastes like soap to me but I know that does not apply to everyone.
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I knew that some people said that cilantro tasted like soap to them, but I had no idea that it was actually a genetic trait that causes them to have this taste. It was interesting to learn that 20% of East Asians have the gene called OR6A2 that causes cilantro to taste like soap to them.
ReplyDeleteI knew it was a genetic issue, but I've still found it fascinating that genes can influence the way things taste to different people. I did not know that it was more common in East Asians and less common in Europeans.
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