Every cook has a favorite item that makes their food taste better like bay leaves for depth or lemon juice to bring out the flavors.
However, just like some products are liked, there are also some that top cooks won’t use. Ina Garten and Julia Child, two of the most famous chefs, don’t like cilantro.
The chefs don’t like cilantro at all.
In an interview with Larry King in 2002, Julia Child said she didn’t like cilantro and would “pick it out and throw it on the floor” if she ever found it in her food.
Another well-known cook, Ina Garten, has said similar things. At The Today Show, she said, “I just can’t stand cilantro. It has such a strong flavor that it overpowers everything else.”
You either love cilantro or hate it
Cilantro is known for making people disagree. Some people like how it gives foods a fresh, fruity taste, while others don’t like how it tastes like soap.
This dislike isn’t just a matter of taste; it’s based on science. Researchers have found that some people have a DNA trait that makes broccoli taste like soap.
What makes cilantro taste like soap?
A study by 23andMe found that not liking cilantro is connected to a group of genes called OR6A2, which is responsible for finding aldehyde chemicals. Because these aldehydes are found in soaps and cilantro leaves, people with this genetic trait taste soapy.
At least three other genes, besides the OR6A2 gene, play a role in not liking cilantro. These genes affect smell sensors and how bitter things taste, which makes it harder for some people to enjoy the taste of cilantro.
Not liking cilantro is more than just being picky.
There are a lot of people like you who don’t like cilantro. You’re not being picky. According to science, the dislike of this herb is linked to genes, as Ina Garten and Julia Child have shown. Barefoot Contessa thinks it’s natural, not just a matter of taste.
Conclusion:
Even though cilantro is an important part of many recipes, two of the most famous cooks in the world think it’s best left out. More people don’t like cilantro than you might think.
It could be in their genes, or they taste better like others. If someone ever asks you why you don’t like it, remember that famous cooks like Ina Garten and Julia Child feel the same way.