Why does cilantro taste like soap

WHY DOES CILANTRO TASTE LIKE SOAP?

It is not your fault that you don’t like cilantro

Next time your mother calls you picky for removing cilantro from your food, you can tell her that it is her fault. Well, partially her fault. The factor that determines whether you like cilantro or not is actually in your DNA!

Fun fact: 20% of East Asians find cilantro soapy.

Olfactory receptors

Disliking the taste of cilantro actually has to do more with its scent rather than flavor. In order to perceive scent, humans have detectors called olfactory receptors. They are found in the nose and they transmit information to the brain through the olfactory nerve. There are many different kinds of olfactory receptors, hence they are classified into families depending on their structures. The ability to recognise a vast range of smells have to do with the fact that 1 olfactory receptor can detect various odours if the molecules are similar in structure.

Olfactory receptor genes

How are the receptors made? Receptors are proteins which require a code to be produced. I heard of an analogy several years ago which taught me the concept of protein production. Imagine the olfactory receptor as the Krabby Patty burger. In order to make it, you need to sneak into The Krusty Krab and copy down the recipe. The copying down of the recipe in protein production is what we call transcription and making the Krabby Patty burger (protein) is what we call translation. What is the significance of this? The recipe instructions in protein production are your genes! The information in your DNA contain the code in producing proteins. Different proteins have different codes, however we will be focusing specifically on the genes that produce olfactory receptor proteins, which are called olfactory receptor genes. Simple isn’t it?

The soapy taste

Individuals who find cilantro ‘soapy’ have a variation in their olfactory receptor family 6 subfamily A member 2 (OR6A2), allowing them to detect a compound called aldehydes in cilantro. Aldehydes are also found in soap, hence some perceive cilantro as soap. The variations in receptor originate from alleles. Alleles are variations of our DNA that produce different proteins for the same characteristic. For example, someone with brown eyes have different alleles than someone with blue eyes. Each person has 2 alleles, one from each parent. Therefore, the alleles you have for the OR6A2 gene ultimately depends on your parents.

In the future, explain the science behind the taste of cilantro before anyone comments on your distaste of it.

References

Eriksson, N., Wu, S., Do, C.B. et al. A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference. Flavour 1, 22 (2012). doi: 10.1186/2044-7248-1-22

Foster, J. (2020). Do You Think Cilantro (Coriander) Tastes Like Soap? (OR6A2). Available at: https://selfdecode.com/app/article/or6a2-diet/#what-is-or6a2? (Accessed: 20 July 2024).

Manic, B., Godfrey, P.A., Buck, L.L. (2004). The human olfactory receptor gene family. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC356993/ (Accessed: 20 July 2024).

Petruzello, M. (2017). Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people (Accessed: 20 July 2024).

by Emilia Newe (20 July 2024)