As many as one in five people says that coriander has a soapy taste. This is likely to be due to a super-sensitivity to chemicals called aldehydes, which are present in coriander and are also used to perfume soaps and detergents.

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In 2012, researchers in California analysed the DNA of over 14,000 people, identifying two genetic variants associated with the soapy taste, the most common of which is a gene coding for an odour receptor tailored to sniff out aldehydes.

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Authors

Dr Emma Davies is a science writer and editor with a PhD in food chemistry from the University of Leeds. She writes about all aspects of chemistry, from food and the environment to toxicology and regulatory science.

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