# Why does cilantro taste like soap? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598 "2006-12-02T17:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/1 "2006-12-02T17:43:42Z")
So I’m eating a Chipotle burrito (steak, pinto beans, rice) and I notice that the cilantro-lime rice tastes more like… Ivory soap-lime rice. I’ve heard that other people think cilantro tastes like soap, so I’m guessing I didn’t get an Irish Spring burrito. Why, though, does cilantro taste like soap, and who thought that was a positive characteristic in flavoring food? ---
**Author:** ![Phrontist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phrontist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phrontist)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/2 "2006-12-02T17:52:57Z")
You are not alone: [http://www.ihatecilantro.com/taste.php](http://www.ihatecilantro.com/taste.php) > [@](#): > > Cilantro may taste like: > > - cheap cologne > - Mildew > - dirty water > - smell of old coins > - perfume > - chlorine > - Soapy dark dirt > - rancid metallic soap > - lemon washing up liquid > - ear wax > - Dirt > - sucking on a dryer vent > - garbage babies > - mud > - Battery juice > - Ivory Soap > - scotch tape > - soap > - Toxic Metal Cleaner > - skunk > - metal > - dandelions > - mildew > - stink bugs > - rotten eggs > - burnt rubber > - doll hair > - rotting meat ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/3 "2006-12-02T17:53:28Z")
It only tastes like soap to some people. It’s suspected, but not proven, that there’s a recessive gene that allows a minority of people to detect the soap tasting compounds in cilantro. To the rest of us, it doesn’t taste like soap. So order your food without cilantro. It’s not a matter of acquiring a taste for it - it doesn’t taste like that to people who like it. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/4 "2006-12-02T17:55:48Z")
There is a wealth of anecdotal evidence online that the soap taste of cilantro/coriander only applies to some people. A genetic basis of this has been mooted, but I can’t find anything terribly authoritative. Maybe someone with access to PubMed or something can find a decent cite. ---
**Author:** ![Phrontist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phrontist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phrontist)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/5 "2006-12-02T17:56:38Z")
The most popular (unsubstantiated) internet hypothesis seems to be there finding cilantro to taste like something is largely determined by your genes. ---
**Author:** ![Phrontist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phrontist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phrontist)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/6 "2006-12-02T17:57:59Z")
…should’ve probably hit reload before posting. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/7 "2006-12-02T18:08:08Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] A genetic basis of this has been mooted… [/QUOTE] This theory is not without precedent. It’s long been know that there’s a genetic component to the ability to taste [Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylthiocarbamide). ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/8 "2006-12-02T18:19:48Z")
It tastes like fresh air to me. I love it madly. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/9 "2006-12-02T18:49:02Z")
I’m another soap-taster. But I LURVES me some Chipotel! When I’m blessed enough to be in a region where I have the opportunity to order at Chipotle, I forego the rice. I’m getting enough carbohydrates from the tortilla. It’s the barbacoa I really want, anyway…when I was visiting Houston earlier this year, I really, really wanted to ship about 20 pounds of barbacoa home and freeze it, to give my tastebuds a treat on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/10 "2006-12-02T18:52:39Z")
[QUOTE=Phrontist’s link] _Garbage babies_ [/QUOTE] What in the world is a garbage baby? I’ve searched but most hits reference either this cilantro-haters list or a band (I guess) of the same name. I love cilantro but recognize that soapy flavor it can sometimes have. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/11 "2006-12-02T18:56:43Z")
Count me among the soap-tasters. It’s SO bad, that even the tiniest amount will make simple salsa taste like it was made using Palmolive instead of tomatoes. THAT bad. HORRIBLE. What does it taste like to the non-soap tasters? Something akin to parsley or oregano? Cuz I love parsley and oregano. Man, I wish I knew what flavor I am missing, and everyone else seems to adore. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/12 "2006-12-02T18:58:24Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] It tastes like fresh air to me. I love it madly. [/QUOTE] That is the best description I’ve ever seen for what cilantro tastes like to me. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/13 "2006-12-02T19:07:20Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] It tastes like fresh air to me. I love it madly. [/QUOTE] That’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard. Cilantro tastes like hate. Distilled green hate… in exactly the same way that pineapple doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/14 "2006-12-02T19:09:58Z")
I wouldn’t call the taste of cilantro “soap-like”, but rather “burnt rubber like”, as described in **Phrontist** ’s list. Or more accurately, to me it smells and tastes like rubber bands that have been stretched in such ways that they are now hot and give off a burn-like odour. No, I don’t especially like this taste. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/15 "2006-12-02T19:24:09Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] Count me among the soap-tasters. It’s SO bad, that even the tiniest amount will make simple salsa taste like it was made using Palmolive instead of tomatoes. THAT bad. HORRIBLE. [/QUOTE] That’s my level of soap-tasting as well. The first time I ever had cilantro (I led a sheltered life) was when we were visiting a friend in DC and he ordered out Vietnamese. I tried the pho and goddamn if it didn’t taste like someone washed the bowl in Ivory soap and didn’t rinse it out. And the taste stuck in my mouth for HOURS! I couldn’t eat anything else all night because I still had a bar of Ivory in there… ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/16 "2006-12-02T19:43:37Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] So order your food without cilantro. It’s not a matter of acquiring a taste for it - it doesn’t taste like that to people who like it. [/QUOTE] I’m not sure if this is possible at Chipotle, since they mix it in with the rice. Then again, I’ve never tried. Maybe they’ve got a stash of cilantro-less rice hidden in back somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/17 "2006-12-02T19:54:41Z")
I can taste the component of which you speak, but mildly, in a pleasant way. I know that some people find it vile. In fact, the only two foods I can name in Vietnamese are pho and cilantro because one of my classmates was adamant about learning to say, “No thank you. I do not like cilantro.” ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/18 "2006-12-02T20:10:55Z")
It tastes like soap to both my daughter and me. It’s so bad that even a hint of it ruins a full meal. Not only does it taste bad, it upsets my stomach and leaves the soapy taste in my mouth for hours afterward. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/19 "2006-12-02T20:46:11Z")
I’m a soap taster too, but not every time. :dubious: I’ve always been a little weird… ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598/20 "2006-12-02T21:39:29Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] That’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard. Cilantro tastes like hate. Distilled green hate… in exactly the same way that pineapple doesn’t. [/QUOTE] Excellent description, if distilled green hate tasted like a runoff from a toxic dump landfill. To me it tastes burnt and chemical-y at the same time. Just a teensy bit of cilantro in anything absolutely ruins it. As I’ve said before, I’d happily Agent Orange the fields where it is grown and then salt the fields. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap/382598.md?page=2)