Cilantro Tastes Like Soap

Your result, the one DNA position behind it, and what the research says.

4/10 confidence.

About Cilantro Tastes Like Soap

Cilantro, also called coriander leaf, contains aldehydes that are chemically similar to compounds found in soap. This position sits in a cluster of olfactory receptor genes including one that binds those aldehydes. People carrying the associated version are more likely to report the herb tasting soapy rather than fresh. The effect is real but modest, and reported dislike of cilantro is far more common than this variant alone can explain, so a soapy verdict does not require this result.

Good to know: The soapy perception comes from aldehydes shared with actual soap. The effect is modest and does not settle whether you like cilantro. Repeated exposure tends to reduce the soapy perception over time.

Fun fact: Chopping cilantro finely or crushing it breaks down the aldehydes, which is why sauces made with it taste less soapy than leaves.

Discovery: The association was reported in 2012 in a study of around 25,000 people.

The Variant

The single variant behind this trait

Gene: OR6A2

Variant (rsID): rs72921001

Location: Chr 11:6,868,417

dbSNP rs72921001

Other lifestyle traits

Spice Sensitivity: A change in the receptor that detects capsaicin, the compound that makes chili taste hot, linked to how intensely you feel that burn.

Umami Sensitivity: A change in one half of the umami receptor, linked to the lowest concentration of glutamate at which you can recognize savory taste.

Floral Scent Perception: A change in a single smell receptor that decides whether the violet-like compound in many flowers, fruits and perfumes registers strongly or barely at all.

Back to All Traits

Content updated September 2026.

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