Scientists have had a hunch for some time that cilantro hating
might be partly inherited. But now a genetic survey of nearly
30,000 people has given us a definitive answer: hating cilantro
is hard-wired into your genes. A large chunk of the US
population—including the likes of culinary goddess Julia
Child—have claimed that it tastes offensive. Kinda like soap, in
fact. It spreads further than these shores, too: a recent survey
suggested that 21 percent of east Asians, 17 percent of
Europeans, and 14 percent of people of African descent all claim
to be repulsed by the stuff. Now, consumer genetics firm
23andMe, based in Mountain View, has carried outa genetic survey
of 30,000 people to get to the bottom of the problem. By
identifying those who didn't like cilantro, researchers, led by
Nicholas Eriksson, were able to pinpoint genetic variants linked
to cilantro hating. The strongest variant lies within a cluster
of olfactory-receptor genes—part of the genome which influences
our sense of smell. Buried within th