# If you like cilantro, how would you describe it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 14, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608 "2015-04-14T01:45:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/1 "2015-04-14T01:45:50Z")
I’m one of those people that has the “cilantro tastes like soap” gene. If you don’t have the gene, how would you describe cilantro? What is it similar to? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/2 "2015-04-14T01:57:22Z")
Well, I tasted the soapiness at first, and eventually got used to it, so I don’t really notice it anymore. I mean, I know it’s there–I just don’t find it unpleasant. I’m really struggling to find another herb or anything else it tastes similar to. It just tastes “fresh” and “green” to me. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/3 "2015-04-14T01:59:41Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, I tasted the soapiness at first, and eventually got used to it, so I don’t really notice it anymore. I mean, I know it’s there–I just don’t find it unpleasant. I’m really struggling to find another herb or anything else it tastes similar to. It just tastes “fresh” and “green” to me. I love cilantro but couldn’t think of anything to compare it to either so I googled it and found a reddit thread asking the exact same question. Everyone pretty much said the same thing. Fresh, crisp, bright, green etc [http://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/27wgf6/what\_does\_cilantro\_taste\_like\_to\_someone\_who/](http://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/27wgf6/what_does_cilantro_taste_like_to_someone_who/) Not much help, but it’s like asking what parsley taste like, or bananas or milk. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/4 "2015-04-14T02:06:09Z")
Yep: fresh and green. A little like chopped green onion leaves, but not as strong. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/5 "2015-04-14T02:06:30Z")
Green? Like grass? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/6 "2015-04-14T02:08:56Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Green? Like grass? Yeah, there’s a certain grassiness to it, I guess. It’s hard to describe. I’m chewing on some right now, and what I taste is that soapy bitterness, and then just a “freshness.” Maybe something like cucumber skin? I dunno. It’s hard to pin down. I’m guess that whatever you’re tasting, it’s pretty similar to what I’m tasting, it’s just that I’m used to it. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/7 "2015-04-14T02:32:02Z")
Similar to parsley. It tastes “crisp” (if that makes sense) and maybe borderline minty. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/8 "2015-04-14T02:37:58Z")
Ok, I love the stuff but my late husband hated it. He said it tasted like “armpit.” And I completely get that. It’s very earthy, almost sensual. The taste is sharp, a little bitter, a little tart. But if you’ve ever stuck your nose into someone’s pit after they’ve been working hard in the garden… yeah, a little like that. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/9 "2015-04-14T02:53:18Z")
Weak green onions, lettuce and parsley. It’s ok, I could give or take it. Chipotle pits way too damn much on their white rice though. Too aggressive man. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/10 "2015-04-14T02:55:45Z")
Slightly bitter or sour. Definitely has a grassy green component to the flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/11 "2015-04-14T03:27:09Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > . Chipotle pits way too damn much on their white rice though. I see what you did there… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/12 "2015-04-14T03:37:47Z")
Like mexicanized parsley. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/13 "2015-04-14T04:00:14Z")
I think the best comparison \*is \*soap, yet I’m not one who hates it. I don’t love it in great quantities either, mind you, but soap is about as accurate as a comparison I can think of. I’m wondering if we all taste it as soap, but some of use dislike that particular taste more than others ( as opposed to the theory that only some of us perceive it as having a soapy taste). ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/14 "2015-04-14T04:05:40Z")
Well, other than tasting like soap, it tastes green and sharp and fresh, and reminds me of parsley. Or like that Japanese leaf that you sometimes get nestled between two pieces of sushi. If it didn’t taste like soap, it would be sort of nice. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/15 "2015-04-14T04:12:10Z")
\*\*If you like cilantro, how would you describe it? \*\* Mandatory. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/16 "2015-04-14T04:19:40Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I think the best comparison \*is \*soap, yet I’m not one who hates it. I don’t love it in great quantities either, mind you, but soap is about as accurate as a comparison I can think of. I’m wondering if we all taste it as soap, but some of use dislike that particular taste more than others ( as opposed to the theory that only some of us perceive it as having a soapy taste). There is a theory out there that the aversion is only partly genetic, and that may not even be the dominant component, but it seems established that there is at least some genetic link. [Here’s one article](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/14/161057954/love-to-hate-cilantro-its-in-your-genes-and-maybe-in-your-head) on two studies. > [@](#): > > The authors propose that this odor gene contributes to a person’s dislike for cilantro because it increases the herb’s soapy smell. > > But, “it didn’t make a huge a difference in cilantro preference from person to person,” Nicholas Eriksson, the lead author on the study, tells The Salt. In fact, their results suggest that a hatred for cilantro has only a small underlying genetic component. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/17 "2015-04-14T04:20:56Z")
Kinda like like a mix between parsley and basil, only Asian and Mexican connotations rather than Italian. Definitely a fresh taste, don’t know if I’d say soapy, but maybe clean? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/18 "2015-04-14T04:29:12Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Kinda like like a mix between parsley and basil, only Asian and Mexican connotations rather than Italian. Definitely a fresh taste, don’t know if I’d say soapy, but maybe clean? I think you’re being sincere but your response makes me chuckle 🙂 If I had to pin it down I’d say a little bitter and a bit burny on the tongue. You know, just like soap. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/19 "2015-04-14T05:28:12Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > \*\*If you like cilantro, how would you describe it? \*\* > > Mandatory. Jeesh! A little bit goes a long way with stuff. Satisfied? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608/20 "2015-04-14T10:26:00Z")
I get the above - green, fresh, slight onion, parsley - also a little citrus/lemongrass. I love it, love trying a few leaves at the shop before buying, and cover my home-made Indian curries in it (only the leaves which I pick off individually). I never connected the taste with soap until reading about it, now there’s a hint of a link but only as much as in vodka / paint thinner. I don’t like all foods; turnip tastes like an old, used sticking plaster, dates taste like sugar granules in molasses, cooked carrot tastes like a discouraging remark. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-like-cilantro-how-would-you-describe-it/717608.md?page=2)