Coriander (cilantro) tasting like soap. Alternative? Or not bother?

[GroundAlmonds]

I was a bit slow on the uptake about this.

My 21 year old was talking about the way coriander tastes like soap to her. Apparently about a quarter of the population have a gene that makes it taste that way to them.

I looked it up and read about it and it turns out, to the majority of the population, coriander tases citrusy. I chewed a bit more, and d coded it definitely tastes more perfumey than fruity to me. So I have the same gene. Great. Slightly interesting. I’ve always quite liked coriander regardless. To me, it’s definitely an unusual taste.

A whole week later (today), I’m meal planning again and it suddenly hits me. Curries and chillies aren’t tasting to me as they “should” if I’m tasting coriander “wrong”. They aren’t supposed to have a soapy tinge to them. Mind blown.

So is there a substitution I can make? Or is it an individualised perception thing? 🥴🤯

Oh how confusing. I hate cumin and lemongrass. Not keen on allspice or turmeric. Liquorice should be banned but I like its aniseedy friends, tarragon, fennel, etc. Very interesting to read of the sudden converts after years of hating something. Anyone know why this happens?

@Abendintheriver

I don't know what value I thought my post would add to this thread!

It made me feel less alone in my coriander experience, so thanks for that!

I love coriander although very very occasionally I do ‘get’ that soapy taste (and dislike it).
I’m nearly 40 and it’s only very recently that I’ve liked dill.
Tarragon is great in the correct quantities but for me is one of those herbs that gets sickly if too much is added.

I remember reading somewhere that ‘Super tasters’ (ie those with very sensitive palates) can’t taste Truffle.

I am one of the soap people . It’s utterly inedible to me so I leave it out. Can’t eat anything with it in so we don’t use it.

Can I throw celery into the mix? One of my favourite veg but detested by many who often hate coriander too. Are they chemical relatives?

Hmm. Personally I love celery but I love it for being very bitter. Maybe it isn’t bitter to everyone?

Bitter? No, definitely not.

I'm in the soapy taste group, as is DD. We use parsley with a bit of tarragon as a substitute, which I saw recommended online. If it's supposed to have a bit of a lemony taste, I might add a strip of peel as well, next time I cook something that's supposed to have it in.

And yes, I hate celery too. Interesting.

@longwayoff

Bitter? No, definitely not.

No? I’m learning a lot here.

If you're going to use parsley, use flat leaf parsley, not the frizzy stuff.
I love coriander, dill, cumin, fennel but hate aniseed. DS loves aniseed but hates coriander so much I have to separate a portion out of whatever I'm cooking.

@TurquoiseDragon

I'm in the soapy taste group, as is DD. We use parsley with a bit of tarragon as a substitute, which I saw recommended online. If it's supposed to have a bit of a lemony taste, I might add a strip of peel as well, next time I cook something that's supposed to have it in.

That makes sense. That you’d need a mixture of things to make a good substitute.

Celery tastes and smells like rubber to me. I love coriander. Not keen on the liquoricey tasting herbs, but I love liquorice (especially toffee)

Hmm, why spellcheck liquorice?

I had always wondered why Delia Smith disses coriander for tasting soapy in her Complete Cookery Course! I had never heard of this genetic quirk before (and clearly I don't have it, 'cos I love the stuff).

Not too keen on aniseed, but that might be due to the amount of Ricard I drank on an empty stomach on a French exchange trip when I was 17.

I absolutely love coriander buy hate many other strong flavoured things - aniseed, fish, coffee and especially parsley. The parsley thing came about after I spent a week in the Netherlands and literally every meal was covered in it.

I hate those recipes that suggest adding coffee to chocolate desserts to “enhance the flavour”. It just ruins the whole dish.

Instead of using the leaves, I chop the ends off the stem & cut into cm long pieces & add a bit at a time.