Is there a “Coriander Gene”?

Coriander haters beware: You can’t blame your dislike for the green leaves on genetics alone.

That’s what it’s about:

A coriander gene is said to be responsible for the bad taste

Whether the curry in Asian cuisine or the guacamole in Mexican, some dishes are rarely found without coriander leaves. What tastes good for some, arouses deep disgust for others: “I hate coriander!”, “It only tastes like soap!” is what people say on Twitter, for example. There is even a coriander haters page on Facebook with almost 200,000 subscribers.

Hardly any plant evokes more emotions than coriander. The “coriander gene” is said to be to blame for this – the gene “OR6A2”. Even the Wikipedia article says that variations in this gene are probably one reason people don’t like cilantro.

That’s why we need to talk about it:

There is no significant evidence

There is currently insufficient evidence for this hypothesis. The 2012 study linked in the Wikipedia article highlights a few genes and specifically “OR6A2”. In fact, this gene is the blueprint for an olfactory receptor. The assumption: This olfactory receptor could recognize special aldehydes in coriander that are associated with the “soapy aroma”.

In fact, there is no question that a “soapy” impression is mainly caused by the scent of certain aldehydes. The only question is which receptors are responsible for this. “There is no data on which scent can be used to activate the OR6A2 receptor, including aldehydes,” explains biologist and physician Hanns Hatt. The big problem in olfactory research: In less than 20 percent of the approximately 400 human olfactory receptors it has actually been proven which scent activates which receptor.

The study can therefore only provide indications of a connection. And just because someone finds the taste of cilantro soapy doesn’t automatically mean they don’t like cilantro.

But:

The taste experience does not only depend on the smell

Another limitation: “In addition to the sense of smell, coriander also appeals to the sense of taste and the trigeminal receptors in the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth,” says fragrance researcher Hanns Hatt. Among other things, the trigeminal receptors transmit pain signals to the brain via the trigeminal nerve.

For example, if we eat a hot chili pepper, the capsaicin in the chilli responds to heat pain receptors of the type TRPV1, which transmit this information to the brain via the trigeminal nerve. Mint, on the other hand, has a cooling effect, carbonic acid tingles. And aldehydes also activate trigeminal receptors. The general “taste experience” of coriander is not only characterized by our smell.

And now?

Experience and environmental influences are more important than genes

What food we like is also primarily determined by our personal experiences and environmental influences – especially when it comes to the sense of smell. This is also what the authors of the study write themselves. In fact, there is a genetic component to taste and smell, especially when it comes to the smell and taste receptors. But the composition of smell and taste as well as an emotional evaluation only take place in the brain.

Regarding cilantro, a Toronto study suggests that liking cilantro also depends on our culture. There are only a few other studies on our preference for coriander and the question of genetic factors, one of which is also cited by the authors of the study.

So whether we like cilantro or not probably has more to do with where we grew up and how we feel about situations in which we have eaten cilantro.