{"id":9413,"date":"2023-12-12T20:19:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T13:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9413"},"modified":"2023-12-12T20:19:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T13:19:00","slug":"why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-an-ent-explains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9413","title":{"rendered":"Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap? An ENT Explains"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">P<\/span>OV: You take one bite of cilantro and your mouth tastes like you\u2019ve bitten into a bar of soap. Sound familiar? If so, you&#8217;re not alone. Folks on team &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/cilantro-recipes\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/cilantro-recipes\/\">cilantro<\/a>-on-the-side-please&#8217; tend to find that the herb tastes more like laundry detergent than a deliciously fresh and peppery plant.<\/div>\n<p>And while plucking it off your every bowl of pho feels like a dreadful curse given how much yum you know cilantro should bring, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comhs.org\/find-a-doctor\/h\/husain-inna\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.comhs.org\/find-a-doctor\/h\/husain-inna\">Inna A. Husain, MD<\/a>, the medical director of laryngology at Community Hospital in Munster, Indiana, says it may have a silver lining&#8230;depending on how you look at it.<\/p>\n<p>According to Dr. Husain, having a distaste for cilantro does not <em>necessarily<\/em> a picky eater make. Rather, it has everything to do with your genetic composition. &#8220;Some folks simply have a different genetic makeup that makes them perceive the flavor of cilantro\u2014and other ingredients\u2014as soapy,&#8221; she says. What&#8217;s more, this may be indicative of being a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/taste-buds-change-age\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/taste-buds-change-age\/\">supertaster<\/a>,\u201d or someone whose sense of taste is more intense than average.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\">\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"experts-in-article noskim py-[24px] px-[40px]\">\n<p>Experts In This Article<\/p>\n<ul class=\"!ml-[18px]\">\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/innahusainmd\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/innahusainmd\/\">Inna Husain, MD<\/a>, otolaryngologist affiliated with Community Hospital in Munster, Indiana <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<hr\/><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Why cilantro tastes like soap for some folks\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>From a scientific standpoint, being a supertaster (or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/weird-smells\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/weird-smells\/\">smeller<\/a>) is correlated with having more taste and smell receptors than the majority of people, which means being able to more easily detect specific compounds found in foods like cilantro.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIncluded in these additional taste receptors can be some for detecting the compounds phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and propylthiouracil (PROP), which are often found in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/broccoli-benefits\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/broccoli-benefits\/\">broccoli<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/kale-vs-spinach\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/kale-vs-spinach\/\">kale<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/brussels-sprouts-taste-better\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/brussels-sprouts-taste-better\/\">brussels sprouts<\/a>. We don\u2019t know if cilantro contains these for a fact, but it\u2019s highly suspected,\u201d Dr. Husain says. Studies show the two compounds, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3349222\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3349222\/\">PTC<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4179166\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4179166\/\">PROP<\/a>, are generally perceived as either tasteless or bitter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap\/\" current-title=\"Whether or Not Cilantro Tastes Like Soap to You Will Tell You a *Lot* About Your Palate, Says Science\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-06-12\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Supertasters tend to perceive bitterness more than others<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The term \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/wfpc.sanford.duke.edu\/podcasts\/linda-bartoshuk-supertasters-yuck-and-future-food-nutrition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/wfpc.sanford.duke.edu\/podcasts\/linda-bartoshuk-supertasters-yuck-and-future-food-nutrition\/\">supertaster<\/a>\u201d was coined by the experimental psychologist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasonline.org\/member-directory\/members\/57955.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.nasonline.org\/member-directory\/members\/57955.html\">Linda Bartoshuk<\/a>, PhD in the 1980s, who studied genetic variation in taste perception. In truth, whether or not you\u2019re a supertaster all boils down to one gene: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/gene\/5726\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/gene\/5726\">TAS2R38<\/a>, aka taste receptor 2 member 38, a protein-coupled receptor. \u201cThe gene TAS2R38 is often called the supertaster gene as it allows for the ability to taste PTC and PROP,\u201d Dr. Husain explains.<\/p>\n<p>BTW: You don\u2019t need to undergo extensive testing to find out whether or not you\u2019re a suspected supertaster. In fact, an at home test is all you need. \u201cTests for sale on Amazon, <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNasco-PTC-Paper-Strips-Vial%2Fdp%2FB001D7FF5E%2F%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx12058-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.wellandgood.com%252Fwhy-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap%252F%26asc_source%3Ddirect%26asc_campaign%3Dno-campaign&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fwhy-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Nasco-PTC-Paper-Strips-Vial\/dp\/B001D7FF5E\/\" data-type=\"affiliateLink\" data-aff-intermediate=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Nasco-PTC-Paper-Strips-Vial\/dp\/B001D7FF5E\/?tag=wgtrx12058-20&amp;asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fwhy-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap%2F&amp;asc_source=direct&amp;asc_campaign=no-campaign\">like this one<\/a>, are coated with PTC. The idea is if you can taste or detect the PTC on the strip, you would have the TAS2R38 gene, and therefore would be considered a supertaster,\u201d Dr. Husain says.<\/p>\n<p>The concept is simple: the PTC dissolves on the tongue and activates the PTC receptor, that is, if it\u2019s present. \u201cBut, if you don\u2019t have the gene, in turn, you won\u2019t have the PTC receptor, which means that you <em>shouldn\u2019t<\/em> taste much of anything when you place the strip on your tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The bottom line<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Remember if you have the TAS2R38 gene, you have the ability to taste PTC and PROP, otherwise you can detect bitterness more than others. In other words, if cilantro tastes like soap for you, you likely fall into the super-tasting category and\/or possibly the super-smelling category. \u201cWe don\u2019t quite know if it&#8217;s the taste that is being activated or if it\u2019s the activation of olfactory receptors via the food\u2019s aroma\u2014or maybe it\u2019s both for those with an aversion to cilantro.\u201d Either way, a bitterness test can help you come one step closer to figuring out where you and cilantro stand.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, Dr. Husain says that instead of solely suspecting supertasting abilities, \u201cBartoshuk\u2019s work gave a genetic basis and reasoning for it.\u201d In other words, your aversion to cilantro isn&#8217;t all in your head\u2014rather it\u2019s all in your taste buds. Not to mention, you may have actually been a supertaster all along.<\/p>\n<p><em>In case you do enjoy cilantro, this easy chickpea goddess dressing will do the trick:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Easy Chickpea Goddess Sauce |  ReNew Year Food | Well+Good\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YzgyqIfR2A4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"block-thin post-citations mt-[40px] mb-[30px]\" data-module-init=\"main-2020\/post-citations\" data-module-immediate=\"true\">\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mb-[24px]\"\/>\n<div class=\"post-citations-content flex flex-col gap-[24px]\">\n<p>Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ol class=\"!ml-[18px] !mt-0\">\n<li>\n              Guo, S W, and D R Reed. \u201cThe genetics of phenylthiocarbamide perception.\u201d\u00a0<i>Annals of human biology<\/i>\u00a0vol. 28,2 (2001): 111-42. doi:10.1080\/03014460151056310            <\/li>\n<li>\n              Tepper, Beverly J et al. \u201cGenetic sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and its association with physiological mechanisms controlling body mass index (BMI).\u201d\u00a0<i>Nutrients<\/i>\u00a0vol. 6,9 3363-81. 27 Aug. 2014, doi:10.3390\/nu6093363            <\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"!border-seafoam-dark mt-[24px]\"\/>\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>POV: You take one bite of cilantro and your mouth tastes like you\u2019ve bitten into a bar of soap. Sound familiar? If so, you&#8217;re not alone. Folks on team &#8216;cilantro-on-the-side-please&#8217; tend to find that the herb tastes more like laundry detergent than a deliciously fresh and peppery plant. And while plucking it off your every &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}