> Wikipedia's explanation tells me that the flavour of coriander is actually -- chemically -- like soap in some sense [...] > Maybe the flavour of coriander is

> Wikipedia's explanation tells me that the flavour of coriander is actually -- chemically -- like soap in some sense [...] > Maybe the flavour of coriander is actually like soap [...] What the Wikipedia article says is that coriander contains some aldehydes, which some people find to taste like soap, based on genetics. I tried to find whether the taste of actual soap is also caused by the same aldehydes. As far as I can tell, there's no chemical link. Soap has different chemical compounds, which most people seem to identify as "taste of soap", regardless of their appreciation for coriander. Also, based on the reported percentages, it's literally abnormal (i.e. not in the norm) to taste soap in coriander. That easily explains why someone would need to justify their distaste for it. Up until 10 years ago, I had never heard of this coriander/soap relation, so the first person I encountered with this predisposition was met with puzzlement. Then I met another, and now before adding coriander to a dish, I make sure that everyone agrees with it.