# Cilantro, soap, and phenylthiocarbamide **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cilantro-soap-and-phenylthiocarbamide/429501 "2007-12-10T17:52:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cilantro-soap-and-phenylthiocarbamide/429501/1 "2007-12-10T17:52:12Z")
In [this recently and inexplicably locked thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=398491) **WoodenTaco** mentions that cilantro contains PTC and that’s the end-all be-all answer to why some people like and some people hate cilantro. It seems like it would be relatively easy to verify if cilantro contains PTC in significant quantities, but my google-fu in this matter is weak. I have discovered that broccoli contains PTC. In fact quite a few plants contain PTC, most of which I haven’t heard described in such glowing invective as cilantro. I’m also curious if the PTC concentration varies over the life of the plant or if there’s any accounting for leaves from the same plant sometimes tasting soapy and sometimes not. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cilantro-soap-and-phenylthiocarbamide/429501/2 "2007-12-10T17:56:28Z")
[QUOTE=1010011010] In [this recently and inexplicably locked thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=398491) **WoodenTaco** mentions that cilantro contains PTC and that’s the end-all be-all answer to why some people like and some people hate cilantro. [/QUOTE] I have no knowledge of the properties of cilantro, but the thread was locked because year old zombies are smelly. ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cilantro-soap-and-phenylthiocarbamide/429501/3 "2007-12-10T18:51:57Z")
[QUOTE=Risha] I have no knowledge of the properties of cilantro, but the thread was locked because year old zombies are smelly. [/QUOTE] The strange thing is that I’m the one that resurrected it, yet I usually only hit _User CP_ (subscribed threads) or _New Posts_. Anyway, the inexplicable is now… explicable. Still curious, though. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cilantro-soap-and-phenylthiocarbamide/429501/4 "2007-12-10T21:00:39Z")
My Uncle Stan told me, “Never complick, never explick.” I still don’t know what he meant, but it seemed like he did.