Apparently, at least some people who don’t like cilantro are missing a key smell receptor and are not supertasters, at least according to this (not terribly rigorous, but still scientific) study: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98695984
I know I’m a supertaster because we did that experiment in 8th grade, and I’ll never forget the terrible taste of that little piece of paper. I also love cilantro’s smell and flavor–it’s my human-nip. I’m curious to know whether this information is generalizable to a larger population than me and the article’s author and friends, though.
If you don’t know whether or not you’re a supertaster, that’s fine. I want as many people to answer as possible!
I did that taste test too, way back when - I touched the tip of my tongue to the paper, spit it out and started wiping my tongue off - no need to chew for a minute for me. I love cilantro - LOVE it! I am also a supersmeller - I love the smell of it, too. I think the author is right - people who hate cilantro just aren’t experiencing the wonderfulness of it.
“dislike” is not a strong enough word for how I feel about cilantro. It is a vile, disgusting substance. I “dislike” it the way others would “dislike” having Dawn dishsoap poured on their food.
I’ve never tested for being a super-taster, though other people have suggested I might be one based on me picking up on flavors they don’t notice, and I hate hate hate hate HATE cilantro.
I actually don’t mind the smell… but to say I “dislike” the flavor is a grotesque understatement. I loathe the flavor, I detest it, from my point of view it might as well be trimmings of Satan’s asshairs, it tastes that horrific.
But the smell? Doesn’t’ bother me at all. Just anonymous green smell.
So I would have liked to see “Don’t mind the smell, absolutely loathe, detest, and hate the taste”.
“Coriander” in the US refers to the seed, which does have a taste one could describe as “heat”, where “cilantro” refers to the leaf/stems, which I’ve never heard referred to as hot.
Don’t know if “coriander” can refer to the leaf in other English speaking countries or not, but assuming the OP is American, she’s probably talking about the *fresh leaf *of the coriander plant, aka, cilantro.
This is me to a tee. Blech, Yuck, Gross, etc. etc. etc.
What’s the supertaster test? I’ve never heard of a test but I’d like my gf to take it. Her sense of taste and smell are hyper alert and I’ve accused her of being a supertaster but didn’t know of a test.
