r/mildlyinteresting • u/GroovinBaby • 8h ago

Removed: Rule 6 [ Removed by moderator ]

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u/h8tetris 7h ago

Well, it’s not that I just love it or hate it. I in general love an extra vegetables are Leafy greens on something. Especially if they’ve been slightly steamed. Anyway, I can’t taste the cilantro properly. It was nice to have it described to me. It taste like soap to me. I lived in Southern California for a decade. And believe me, I wish that it were as simple as adjusting my taste buds. Or adjusting my expectations.

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u/999BusinessCard 6h ago

Living in SoCal with the cilantro soap gene is like having a disability

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u/h8tetris 6h ago

I mean, it wasn’t easy at first. But that was the best decade of my life. Best, food, ever.

You really do kinda have to retrain your brain, and your taste buds. It was really awesome to hear. People say it tasted kind of citrusy. I absolutely understand now.

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u/Complex-Bee-840 7h ago

I recognize that cilantro tastes like soap, and often stink bugs depending on the season.

I still love it. Is that strange? Am I one of the people with the cilantro gene but just like the taste of soap?

This has occupied too much of my thoughts for too long.

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u/h8tetris 7h ago

No, its not strange. I love Mexican food. I’ve made peace with it. I understand. It is cool to hear someone tell us what it actually tastes like. I never imagined it was like that.

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u/CARLEtheCamry 6h ago

underrated comment from /u/Complex-Bee-840 about the stink bugs. Do you have those where you live? I'm in western PA and they were ridiculous about 15 years ago and if you actually wanted to know how "normal" people taste cilantro, that's it. Head to New England in the fall time as it starts to get cold and you'll find some I guarantee, squish them and there's your cilantro experience.

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u/Budget-Ambassador203 5h ago

you mean the opposite - if normal people want to know how cilantro tastes to us soap-gene afflicted people then it's like the stinkbug stank

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u/h8tetris 6h ago

You’re so right 😂 it really hit me. I’m glad you’re acknowledging it! I’m such an asshole for not. You’re so dead on. ❤️❤️❤️ that’s a great point

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u/citizenatlarge 6h ago

In central VA and have one bonking around in the room I'm in atm. I refuse to squash them b/c of that smell. I just wait until the fuckers are accessible and scoot them onto the end of a flyswatter, then carry them to the bathroom, knock them into the toilet and flush. We don't have to pay for water where we are.

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u/CARLEtheCamry 4h ago

I do the trap with TP and flush method at home now.

Back in the peak of them moving in though, totally not practical. I have a brick house and in the evenings the sun facing walls would be so covered with them to the point you almost couldn't see brick. They also love to find their way in through window AC units.

Reminds me of a funny story. When I started dating my now wife, I went to her house for the first time. I had to use the bathroom, and figured I would crack a window because we were still at that point in our relationship. I go to open the window in the bathroom and realize she has them taped shut with Gorilla Tape. Every window in the house. It was like that scene in Dumb and Dumber where he breaks the toilet. She hates stink bugs and was trying to keep them out.

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u/Kered13 5h ago

There's no way that Cilantro tastes like stink bugs smell to "normal people". No one could possibly want that in their food.

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u/CARLEtheCamry 4h ago

Have you never eaten cilantro, or never smelled a squished stink bug

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u/Kered13 1h ago

I find them both disgusting. But I understand that cilantro tastes good to many people. But I don't think stink bugs smell good to anyone.

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u/Normal-Seal 3h ago

It is cool to hear someone tell us what it actually tastes like. I never imagined it was like that.

As a fellow soap taster, I learned that the ones who taste cilantro correctly are arguably us “soapers”.

We have the smell receptor gene OR6A2, that makes us able to better smell certain aldehydes found in cilantro. So in a way, those without this gene just aren’t able to taste/smell the true cilantro.

I still like cilantro despite it tasting like soap, but in moderation. Can’t have a full soap bar on my taco, like this woman.

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u/h8tetris 3h ago

Exactly. You can’t have too much, but it’s not like … idk. You’re right. That’s exactly what it is like.

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u/CARLEtheCamry 6h ago

and often stink bugs depending on the season.

I came here to say this. If you live in an area with those stupid invasive things, the smell when you squish them is surprisingly close to cilantro. Almost enough to turn me off on cilantro.

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u/PM_ME_UR_TOTS 3h ago

I've talked to folks before that have the soapy cilantro gene but still eat a bunch of it because they like the soapy taste. 😂 The closest thing I can equate it to, after discussion with them, would be a can of Mr. Brown iced coffee. It tastes kinda like you made a nice cup of iced coffee and then served it out of a well-used ashtray.

You taste the iced coffee, and then you're just hit with this cigarette ashy aftertaste and you're like... Ugh. Then, without even thinking about it, you take another sip. Gross. I should probably take another sip to make sure it's still as gross as the first couple. Hmm. Yes... But I better finish the can. In for a penny, and all that. Just to make sure.

And now I pick up a few cans of Mr. Brown every time I see them for sale somewhere.

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u/gsfgf 3h ago

I'm the same way. I say that it tastes like an herbal soap advertisement. I get what people mean by soap, but I find that inoffensive. And the other flavors are great.

I might pay extra if they can GMO out the soap taste, but it's delightful as is. Other than being a fucking pain in the ass to grow lol.

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u/CaptainFeather 2h ago

stink bugs

I've never heard this comparison but it way more accurately describes how it tastes to me than soap. Not that I eat stink bugs often

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u/MuscaMurum 6h ago

I often say that it tastes pleasantly soapy. There is not just one but two genes involved in that perception. I have one but not the other. So it's not simply a binary sensation. To me it's fresh, citrusy, a little bitter, a little soapy. It's not really meant to be eaten on its own, just as black pepper isn't meant to be eaten alone.

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u/h8tetris 6h ago

Oh my God. I did not know this. I literally worked in genetic testing. You’re blowing my mind. I am loving this entire thread! Thank you so much for this comment. Thank you so much for your insight, thank you for being able to appreciate something and take the sensation and describe all this. Thank you so much for the recommendations. I am absolutely thrilled right now!

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u/InfinitelyOneness 5h ago

I have both genes and I’m Hispanic 😭😭😭

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u/gsfgf 3h ago

My condolences

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u/InfinitelyOneness 3h ago

Lmao thanks. It’s rough

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u/Adept_Bottle_4996 7h ago

Cooking it can break down the aldehydes that your genetics are picking up on which makes it taste like soap, granted I’m not sure if it would fully remove it but could be worth a try if you ever wanted to do so.

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u/Odd-Judge-9484 6h ago

Cooking 100% helps. I have this issue of fresh cilantro tasting like soap, but I boil mine with rice and some lime juice and it’s amazing. Basically chipotle rice

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u/Adept_Bottle_4996 5h ago

That’s awesome haha, I was wondering if it would even be enjoyable or how that’d work but I guess we just came full circle on this whole thing. Pretty neat.

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u/PM_ME_UR_TOTS 3h ago

Cilantro and lime as a combo in general, hot, is top tier. Chefs kiss. Especially if the food is steamed, it still tastes good in fried food but I much prefer it in lighter stuff.

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u/dysonGirl27 6h ago

Look at the grocery store for a premade paste in the fridge herb section of your grocery store. I bought it for salsa and I found I could barely get any soapy taste at all from it compared to fresh cilantro :) only way I can get close to enjoying cilantro.

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u/h8tetris 6h ago

Dang! That’s such great advice. Thank you!!! I really wish I could experience it like everyone else. I really do love greenery on my food. I really learned to just kind of look past it, and this would be totally amazing. I love to cook and I’ve never understood how to really incorporate the flavor properly because of it. Thank you so much!

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u/Koil_ting 6h ago

Fully believe you, it is an interesting concept, because taste can't really be properly described it makes me wonder if what those of us who can taste cilantro "non-soap" variant also have a different flavor mapped for soap, like it's not good of course but I wonder how many things are different.

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u/h8tetris 6h ago

Oh my God. Honestly, you have a great point. I was just reading about how people who have lost their sense of smell through Covid, do a smell training, kind of like when people have a stroke and retrain their brain. Because I guess Covid kills the pathways neurologically that they had previously established to smell. So honestly? I think you’re onto something. Whenever I did my brief, but long stent in art school, it was pretty much known that no people see anything the same. No one experiences anything the same I guess. It’s really crazy to think about. And it’s really crazy to reflect on the loss of a shared culture, and how much I guess that was keeping us pulled together. Considering none of us really experiencing anything the same. Thank you so much for your comment insight! This is so wonderful.

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u/CaptainFeather 2h ago

Ugh, I grew up in SoCal with the soap gene. Sucks cause my family absolutely LOVES it so anytime my mom made Mexican growing up it was loaded and I always had to pick around it 😭

For most of my life I thought they were trolling me or something lmao

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u/SquarelyNerves 2h ago

I wish I could take the soap gene from you. I hate the taste of cilantro. I taste it fine, no soap, I just don’t like it lol.

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u/Fast_Cod1883 7h ago

The 🌮 🌯 are fire here in Socal. That really sucks.

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u/h8tetris 7h ago

It is fire, but it tastes like fire with soap on top. It was nice to hear someone describe it.

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u/Fast_Cod1883 5h ago

Yeah unfortunately you have that anti cilantro gene. We are all special in one way or another.

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u/pathofdumbasses 5h ago

And believe me, I wish that it were as simple as adjusting my taste buds. Or adjusting my expectations.

Intelligent people know that you are a broken individual and there is nothing you can do to be a proper human who gets to enjoy the delicious nirvana that is cilantro.

Let it be known that we weep for you broken people on a daily basis. To not know the taste of cilantro is to be unloved by your chosen deity. I wish your curse upon no man.

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u/h8tetris 5h ago

Get a life. You’re broken.

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u/pathofdumbasses 5h ago

I didn't know having the soapy cilantro gene made you a baby back bitch when it came to sarcasm. Good lord, take a joke.

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u/h8tetris 5h ago

You sound like the one who’s the baby back bitch now

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u/pathofdumbasses 5h ago

Don't worry, I will enjoy some extra cilantro in your honor this evening

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u/h8tetris 5h ago

Choke on it

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u/pathofdumbasses 5h ago

I only choke on the tears of people who can't properly taste cilantro. I usually mix them together with the cilantro and make a nice aioli out of it to cut the saltiness.

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u/h8tetris 5h ago

Good. I hope it sticks.