Do you dislike cilantro? There may be a genetic explanation for that. That's right. Some people are genetically predisposed to cilantro aversion. I'm thankfully not one of these people. I like it, but don't love it. But I do find it adds good flavor to certain cuisines. There are people, likely because of their genetics, who would disagree with me. Celebrity chef Julia Child has been known to say that she would pick it out of her food and throw it on the floor if it ended up on her plate.
When some people eat cilantro, they say it has a soapy taste. There are an estimated 10% of people who taste soap rather than cilantro when they eat it because of a harmless genetic defect. Are you part of that 10% percent? If you've taken a DNA test through a site like 23andMe, you can find out if you have this genetic defect.
I find it fascinating that a genetic defect can play a role in whether or not people have an aversion to a food. It makes me wonder what other foods people are genetical averse to. I cannot stomach eggplant. Maybe it's because of my genes. I also think raw tomatoes are gross, but I don't mind them when they're cooked.
It turns out that we're all tasting and smelling foods slightly differently based on some genetic links. Some people have a sweet tooth and crave sugar. We know there's a genetic link to having a sweet tooth. But this can also be a learned trait. This is important to consider though. If you cook for someone and they turn up their nose at it, it might be because they are genetically predisposed to despise it. So don't get offended the next time you serve a meal with cilantro in it and a friend refuses to consume it. Just realize that we're all a little different when it comes to food preferences, and our genetics can play a role in these differences.