I can't get enough of it! Unfortunately, I have a few friends who fall into the "hate it" category.

I love it.
A good friend said "It tastes like soap."
Fortunately she warned me before I made her lunch!
(Thanks MM)

If you're a soap taster, yes, it ruins the whole dish, much like squirting dishwashing detergent into the food would ruin it.

I have always hated cilantro, which is hard growing up with a chinese dad that cooks a lot of food with cilantro. I always thought it tasted like sewer rot/plastic bags.

It can't possibly be a genetic trait---I first tried it in fresh salsa and though ick soap and though that everytime I came across it for years but then I started eating indian food where it was cooked into the dish. The next time I tried it fresh I thought it was great. So its and acquired taste, like so many things.

Hate it! Although it's gotten to the point where I can still eat a dish that has it as a garnish (although I'll still try to pick it out if it isn't too hard). And there are a few exceptions (like salsa, guac, the green sauce at my favorite Afghan restaurant) in which I will accept it.

I love cilantro, I would eat it by the handful if I could... but to be honest, it DOES taste a little soapy.

Once upon a time I didn't know I was one of those to whom cilantro tastes soapy, so I planted some in the herb patch under my kitchen window. Once the plant had matured, the aroma of cilantro would waft into my kitchen and make me nauseous if I happened to be standing at the sink, in front of the window. Whenever I see the word "cilantro" I mentally substitute "Italian parsley" and my stomach settles right down. I wish I could identify with people to whom cilantro tastes heavenly, but I just can't.

I adore cilantro now and use it in everything. But the first few times I tasted it I thought it smelled and tasted horrible. Not so much soapy as like athlete's foot powder. It still smells the same to me, but I now like the taste. So it can't be simply genetic.

Add me to the "I HATE CILANTRO" camp...I can't stand it in anything.

HATE IT, egch

I love cilantro. It is the essence of summer, to me, in my mom's fresh salsa.

But I'm mainly posting to point out that this debate had a very high-profile forum on The OC a couple years ago, when patriarch Caleb's dislike for cilantro was a recurring joke.

I'm in the "HATE IT" camp as well -- it tastes like soap to me!! I can handle it in some things, but if it is too heavy, then I'm done.

mmm I love it and I'll put it in wherever suitable. I really like to make a cilantro salsa or if I'm making hummus, salads, I can't get enough!

I had it in a few dishes (Chinese) when really young, and hated it -- even the smell of it at the farmers' market disgusted me for years. My mother didn't ever cook with it, though, so it wasn't familiar enough to know what it was or its name. I had it again as an early teen in Mexican food, however, and loved it. Now it tastes in any food, including Chinese. (Never tasted like soap, though.)

I've read that it's a hunger inducer (biologically or chemically, not just societally), along with chives. Is there potentially a similar genetic thing with those?

I don't mind it in small quantities, but if there's a lot, it does have a vaguely soapy taste to me. Some people obviously taste that more strongly than others.

this was an essential, growing up in a Latino household. To this day, I can't get enough of it! Yum!

It tastes like soap to me too. So does arugula. yuck!

I think it's mental.

People have certain taste experiences that remain frozen in their memories forever. Some people are allergic to ingredients and that's a completely different scenario.

When I was young I thought that blue cheese and cilantro tasted soapy. Over the years as my taste experiences grew I began to understand these flavors by being able to put them into context.

Those soapy qualities haven't gone away, it's just that now I appreciate them. Just as some people appreciate the cat pee, petrol or steely qualities of certain wines.

I think it's gross, though I can deal with a few leaves in my food, especially if they're easy to scoop off (like the garnish on Indian food).

guacamole isn't guacamole without cilantro. it's the best. wish our plant didn't croak during a heat wave this summer.

Can we get more about the science and the guy testing for genetic traits? THis post seems to skirt the actual science part of it.

Scientists are currently studying the theory that a genetic trait in some people causes the soapy taste. Among them is Charles J. Wysocki, an olfactory scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.

This is what I want to read about.

Love it! I put it in salsa, on tacos, in soups. Mmmm....makes my mouth water.

@protogarrett, I couldn't find more in-depth info. I was hoping a reader could offer more input.

LOVE IT and will put it on everything. I just don't understand the whole "tastes like soap" thing. I almost cried when Ina said she didn't like it.

i hate it! i wish i liked it. i don't want to be a picky eater, but every time i try it i can't get it out of my mouth fast enough. i hope it is genetic so people will get off my back for not liking.

http://threadtrace.wordpress.com

As others have mentioned, I'm also pretty skeptical about the whole "genetic trait" thing.

I love cilantro, but had never heard about the soapy taste, until a few years ago. I re-tasted a leaf or two straight the next time I had a chance, and realized I could definitely understand where the soap idea came from. Just like if I think about it, I can taste the "tinny" quality of a rare steak. I apparently just like eating soap and metal.

That's interesting. I LOVE cilantro and have always been surprised that some people hate it with such a passion.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! I would have it in every meal I ever ate if I could. I chew on it plain. I crave it like other people crave chocolate.

MMM cilantro.

So, so, good! It's such a fresh, bright flavor that I find a way to incorporate it into most of most of my food.

Ugh. I hate cilantro. I've only just not gotten to the point where I can eat it without feeling nauseous, but there was a time when just a good whiff of it would make me wretch.

I do think there has to be some kind of physiological component to why cilantro can taste so different to different people. While Midu thinks it's fresh and bright, I think it's like taking a huge bite of Irish Spring. I'd love to find out more about that.

Blech.

What makes me think there is a genetic component is the fact that the taste is described in pretty much the same terms by those who hate it (except while I get "soap," I would say more accurately "sweaty socks," "wrestling mats," "toxic mold" ...). It runs in my family -- 4 of 6 siblings plus one parent have the same reaction, and describe it the same way. (By the way hate is a mild word for the reaction -- for me, one touch can render an entire meal inedible, and the smell of the herb in the market is literally sickening.) Ground coriander seems to be no problem, so it must be a reaction to the leaf. I tend to call it an allergy, since really it's so much stronger than a dislike.

Cilantro is one of my all time favorite flavors. So fresh and delightful. It was shocking to me when I discovered that some hated it so much. The genetic explanation is fascinating and explained a lot.

Dear Cilantro,

I love you; don't listen to what these bad people say.

Love,
Marie

Dear Cilantro,
I also love you but I hear you are cheating on me with "Marie".
Still I love you,
Peacelily

PS I think rootbeer tastes like toothpaste

Put me in the cilantro haters group...

It is genetic, but doesn't mean that you can't acquire a taste for it. I've acquired a taste for coffee, but it was had to be GOOD coffee, bitter coffee still tastes terrible to me.

Super tasters taste the soap aspect of it. I'm unlucky enough to fall into that category. There are a lot of foods that taste bitter to me that don't to most of the population.

Are you serious? It tastes way worse than soap or ground metal shavings! You can't know how a tiny speck of it destroys the whole day's meals (even those it doesn't appear in!)

Sorry I posted the wrong link... here's the one I meant to post to Wikipedia

LOVE it. Admittedly, I definitely tasted soap the first time I tried it. However, I reached a point where I started to enjoy the extra complexity that it adds to the flavor profile of food. Now, I find that many dishes- particularly in Indian, Mexican, and Thai cuisine- seem to be lacking something without it.

My parents also taste the soap, so it could be a genetic trait. But, I don't think tasting soap equates to automatic dislike. Like some other posters I think it can become an acquired taste, especially with exposure to a wide variety of foods and flavors.

LOVE IT!
it makes me think of my grandma and the pico de gallo she always makes and remember when we use to pick chiles off her plant in the backyard! good times, and good food!

I love cilantro, but if the tiniest speck of yellow mustard infiltrates my plate, my whole dinner is ruined. Blech.

The whole family of mustard/olive/pickly flavors is repellent if you ask me.

I heart it. In guacamole, black bean soup, quesadillas... yum! OK now I'm jonesing for Mexican food.

I love cilantro, I think it's the most delicious, magical herb. I love it in Mexican, Indian, and especially Vietnamese dishes -- I would eat it by the handfuls if I could!

I don't hate it as much as I hate tarragon. I tolerate fresh cilantro in small amounts. I had a veggie sandwich with cilantro hummus at Panera and it wasn't too offensive. It tastes like soap to me, also feels like soap to the touch. Funny thing is I love coriander -or what I know as dried cilantro seeds.

I LOVE it. Good deal if some people hate it - that means there's all the more for me!

wow, this got more comments than most Kitchn posts.

I love cilantro, love the aroma and the flavour. Just smelling a bunch of it in the grocery store cheers me endlessly.

I think it's either genetic or related to allergies. I find the smell of caraway seeds nauseating and recently discovered that I'm allergic to them. Guess my body was telling me something.

I adore it, but my fiance hates it. Luckily it doesn't need to be cooked so I just chop it up and add it to my plate once I've dished everything out.

love it! i reserve all my herb hate for dill. blech!

Detest cilantro. Tastes like dirty underwear mixed with soap. I'm assuming it must be toxic, and that some of us have evolved a gene to warn us off from eating the stankweed.

I'm amazed restaurants continue to serve this gack, considering how many people loathe the taste of it. There are hundreds of other spices which don't produce such a reaction - why not use those instead?

I'm in the love-it-can't-get-enough camp. My hubby knows that whenever he loses track of me at the grocery story, he can inevitably find me in the fresh produce section, leaning over the cilantro and taking deep breaths. In fact, I just sprinkled a huge handful over my enchiladas verdes last night - mmmm! I'd never heard the genetic trait theory and find it very interesting. It certainly could explain things. I was totally shocked when I first found out that there were people who (gasp) actually hate cilantro!

I like cilantro in reasonable doses. Similarly, I feel overdose potential with too much basil, mint, dill, tarragon, parsley, or any other herb. It's all about keeping it in balance. I checked out the supertasters article in Wikipedia, at first wishing I might be among that crowd, but quickly realized my gratitude for NOT having such abilities. The foods listed---Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, coffee, spinach, chili peppers, olives--and the presence of beer and wine are all regulars with me, and I'd not want to voluntarily cut back too much on any of them. It's curious that my friends who disdain the Brassica have no problem gulping down olives, wine and more.

hate it hate it hate it.

Planted it in the garden because I wanted to make my own salsa. Now severly regret it.

The first time I went to pick some, my hands smelled disgusting for hours. Now I won't go near the stuff and its taking over.

sunspot42 - because so many people *do* like it maybe?... I wish I could get cilantro to take over.

I hated cilantro the first time I tried it, when my family moved to south Texas. I actually remember the first time I decided it wasn't so bad, on a fajita taco I bought at the fair. I've loved it sinse. So it may be genetic but you (or some people at least) can aquire a taste for it. I never liked mushrooms, shrimp, coffee or bleu cheese early in life, either.

Incedentally, I believe the Latin name Coriandrum means 'stinkbug.'

I love it, and would be very happy if someone could point me to a soap with the aroma of cilantro. Maybe that could be a new scent at Bath & Body Works.

love, love, LOVE it. So glad I didn't get that bad gene.

I love cilantro and freaking HATE parsley.

Sunspot42: yes, yes, you pinned it down, "like dirty underwear mixed with soap"! Also mixed with some very annoying unnamed kind of cleaning acid.

This is all so funny, I'd have never imagined there are cilantro-lovers and cilantro-haters! I was in Egypt last year and almost all of the dishes had this thing in them -- a disaster. Cilantro-lovers you must try egyptian cuisine.

Chalk up another in the "hate it" category. Although I'm not sure it tastes like soap to me. Maybe I've not had enough soap? I'm not sure how I would describe it other than when I taste it I have a strong visceral reaction of "blech."

i would vote for a genetic cause. My mom also hates cilantro passionately, so I never had it growing up. When I finally had some, it was just a terrible experience. My point being, that I didn't even know my mom didn't like it, so I didn't have a preconceived notion of it.

I wish I did like it, for what it's worth. It pops up on menus everywhere!

as a child, I hated cilantro. Many years later I had a craving for cilantro. I tasted it again and loved it. I now add it to everything, even all my sandwiches.

Oh my goodness, I would have never thought of cilantro tasting like soap, it tastes nothing like soap to me. It tastes like yummy goodness! My mom also loves it so much, so maybe it is genetic :)
I had some today in my veggie pita and I had some yesterday in salsa, I can't get enough! It just makes things have such a great flavor. Salsa isn't salsa without it!

Awful stuff....

I'm a little offended by the posts that say the soapy taste of cilantro is all in my head. I am by no means a picky eater, I not only eat everything but enjoy most things I eat, I couldn't be making this up in my head. Yeah, my friends think I'm crazy too, and I wish I liked the stuff, but I just can't seem to stomach it. It might not be genetic, but I'm definitely not faking this.

Put me in the "I love cilantro" camp. That it's a genetic trait to love the taste is an interesting line of inquiry. I've read similar ideas about the love/hate reaction people have to the taste of licorice, another flavor I can't get enough of. I wonder if they're linked.

i would marry cilantro.

I'm in the hate it category. I don't think it's mental. I grew up not being exposed to cilantro and the first time I realized what it was, was at a chef's demo at a farmer's market. He pointed out when making guac that some people may not like the taste of cilantro due to a genetic trait. I then realized why certain foods like salsa and guac always tasted a little off for me.

this blows my mind. if i had to take one herb to a desert island with me, it would be cilantro. you poor, poor cilantro haters.

I love it, same as many - I smell it at the grocery store for pleasure. I always have it on hand and include it in my meals regularly. yummers.

I do have friends that have the metal/soap issue with it though, so I am cautious with it for guests.

Sometimes I get the soapy taste with too much blue or goat cheese on one cracker.

And lastly, I concur with some of the other posters about caraway seeds - they really turn me off. yick.

It is okay but I prefer papalo which is similar.

My license plate would say H8 Cilantro

if there were enough spaces.

HATE THE VILE STUFF!!!

When I worked at a co-op, I would buy a bunch of cilantro and a six pack of beer. At home, I'd tear off handfuls to add to salsa and eat it with chips. This was, by far, my favorite dinner on a dime. The scent, the taste, the texture, the pleasure! I would wear a perfume made from cilantro oil! I'd bathe in the stuff, except I might be tempted to drink my bath water...and that's even too disgusting for me to handle.

To me, it's like eating a burrito WITHOUT taking the tinfoil wrapper off first.

LOVE it. The more the better!

I'm a picky eater -- so it's even a suprise to me that I like cilantro. But I can see why some people are averse to it, it certainly has a way of making "its presence known" in food.

On the other hand, I deplore sheep's and goat's milk cheeses. They just taste so "gamey" and "musky" to me. I think their popularity must be a mass conspiracy.

L-O-V-E it! Love the taste and the smell. I will admit that it smells like some sort of very tasty household cleaner, but so does lemon thanks to the many products with lemon scent added.

I have never met anyone who hated cilantro more than me. I doubt it's genetic as everyone else in my family seems to love it. It tastes like aluminum foil and the smallest amount can ruin my entire plate of food. I've gotten to the point where I return food after requesting no cilantro if it has the slightest amount on the plate. Sometimes they just scrape it off, but I can tell, it leaves a lingering metallic taste.

Fuegood's description is right on the money.

Mmm, yum, cilantro martini..........makes me thirsty just thinking about it, but I guess you'd really have to love cilantro to like them. Thank goodness I do!

However, I'm with hazelnut_spread, I can't stand the musky AND musty taste of goat cheese.

I never realized there was a big cilantro debate, but I'm definitely a cilantro hater. I'm not at all a picky eater, but there are three things that make food essentially inedible for me: cilantro, dill, and blue cheese. Blue cheese is by far the worst, as it makes me feel sick just smelling it, but when cilantro or dill are dominant flavors in a dish, I literally have to choke it down. Blegh.

oh cilantro... it's funny used to think of cilantro as of money: you can't hate it :D but I guess everyone is different.

I hate it.

I expected to love it when I first used it in a new recipe as I've never met an herb I didn't like. Beautiful and flat-leaved, easy to chop and add to many dishes. An attractive garnish. What's not to love?

....aside from the soapy, mildewy, metallic taste... Yuck!

I love cilantro - especially on breakfast burritos. I love the smell it makes when chopped... Yum!

I used to think it tasted like windex. Now I'm a fan, so I have to go with the acquired taste theory.

My husband and I can't get enough of it!!!!

I love it, but my mom thinks it tastes like gas. Yes, gas.

I hate it, but I don't think it tastes like soap at all. Natalie's mom got it right--it tastes like a by-product of petroleum manufacturing.

Love It!

I LOVE it and have always loved it. My husband used to abhor it, being in the soap tasting category of cilantro haters. But lately his buds have changed for the better and now he likes it! Good news for the household cause I throw it in tacos, enchiladas, salsas, and some asian dishes.

I hate it. I wish I didn't, because it's in everything these days. I have to avoid the rice at Chipotle, as well as the salsa there and at Baja Fresh. I don't understand why they can't make a cilantro-free version, since so many people hate cilantro ...

I have to say I love cilantro. In salsa, lime and cilantro on chicken, soup... My girlfriend hates it though, so we don't eat it as much as I like, but she puts up with it every once in a while. It's also a great herb to grow indoors.

Did you know love of pork is genetic??

If it's genetic how can my husband love it and my father-in-law hate it?

I'm really sorry for the cilantro haters because the taste is so good and refreshng...

After years of giving it a go, I've had to make my hate stance towards this vile plant known.
It is a potent metallic and body-odour/gym-bag flavour that completely overpowers any dish, salad or sandwich. A leaf piece as small as 2 square millimeters is enough to completely ruin a sandwich.

Oddly enough I don't mind "soapy" flavours.

I'm with you - cannot get enough of it.