 What the, this cilantro smells like rotting dead tires. Ah, ah, it's even worse, it tastes like soap. Why do I keep eating it? What is wrong with this stuff? Why do people like it? The question is, why don't you? Let's answer that, shall we? Who hates cilantro? Studies have shown that cilantro is disliked for its smell and taste by a small percentage of the population. And it's really a matter of where you're from. Around 14% of Africans say cilantro is a no-go. Caucasians, 17%. But leading them all are the East Asians at 21%. Interestingly, in places where cilantro is very popular in the cuisine, the percentage of people who dislike it is much lower. Only 7% of South Asians dislike cilantro, 4% of Hispanics, and a mere 3% of Middle Eastern people find it repulsive. Perhaps some people hiding their true feelings to avoid the mobs from attacking them for their animosity against cilantro. Another interesting fact shows that 20% of identical twins disagreed about how awesome cilantro is, whereas fraternal twins disagreed about 50% of the time. Why do you hate cilantro? Okay, so what's actually causing the great cilantro divide? This is gonna get seriously scientific, so let's make it as enjoyable as possible. Amongst the happy essential oils contained within cilantro is D. linalool. Sounds like it should be a bird call or something. Linalool! Some people think that part of the reason cilantro's smell is perceived incorrectly is due to D. linalool, as linalool is a major part of what creates the aroma and flavor of cilantro leaves. Cilantro is also home to a variety of crazy aldehydes. Aldehydes coming at you. Ah! Aldehydes are organic compounds containing a terminal carbonyl group. It's like he's trying to speak to me, I know it! Well, let's put it this way. Aldehydes are the unsung inventors or the blue collar workers, or the awesome backstage people and staff that help put on a great show. Essentially they're the elements that help products come together and work well. Aldehydes actually help compose a variety of products, including perfumes, resins, dye, various flavorings, even preservatives and disinfectants. That's cool, but why should I even care about these crazy aldehydes? Well, because hiding up your nostrils are your olfactory receptor genes, which of course help you smell. And lurking within some people's schnazzes is our little gene buddy called OR6A2, who I'm just gonna call aura. Now aura is highly sensitive to these aldehyde chemicals and it's believed that aura can sense several aldehydes that most people can't pick up on. And as the chemical makeup of these aldehydes is very similar to that of soap, well it's no wonder that aura confuses them. It makes you think you're getting a big mouthful of sudsy blondes. And it's these same soapy aldehydes that you'll find in the defense mechanism of various bugs, hence the reason it's linked to smelling like stink bugs. Genetic differences. Now oddly, while some people have a problem with the whole coriander experience, others only have a problem with cilantro leaves, but not a problem with coriander spice. This is also believed to be due to its chemical composition, just like some people find a problem with things like broccoli, me, and others don't. Some people just hate cilantro, but are perfectly fine with the coriander spice. Genetics, crazy, right? This also holds true if you're trying something for the first time. If you haven't been exposed to a certain taste before, it can be a bit jarring. Eastern cultures may love kimchi, but it scares me worse than the clown from it. Now you can't necessarily change the genetic profile of your taste buds. So if something is really averse to your particular taste, you probably shouldn't waste your time trying to acquire a taste for it. But then again, this isn't the case for all flavors. That said, it is possible to find certain recipes that make cilantro palatable even for the most avid cilantro haters. Certain flavor combinations or cooking methods could alter or mask the flavor cilantro invokes entirely. Not that I'm trying to force you to like cilantro if you don't. Hey, you go on hating what you hate, and I'll hate what I hate, and we'll just have a happy little hate party. Oh, I hate you, broccoli. That doesn't sound all that positive. So are you one of those people who's a close personal friend of Aura and dislikes the taste of cilantro? And do you dislike the cilantro herb and the coriander spice? Or just one? Or both? Let me know in the comments down below. If this video's got you interested in the differences between coriander and cilantro, then watch this video right up here. Or if you're looking for some wacky herbie history, then watch this video next. Please be kind, take care of each other, and feel free to go out there and hate whatever foods you wanna hate. That sounds like it should be a double negative.