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Today Is International 'I Hate Coriander' Day

Today Is International 'I Hate Coriander' Day

Campaigners are begging for restaurants to label which meals will include the dreaded herb.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

There are plenty of days throughout the year that will be cause for celebration.

Whether it's your birthday, anniversary, milestone, or whatever, it's beautiful when you get to share a moment with your nearest and dearest.

But if you're wondering what February 24 might hold in store, you need only look at the dreaded green plant that sparks disgust across the world.

Today is the official international I Hate Coriander Day.

Welcome to my TED talk

Today is for all those people who are not only terrified when they see a bit of coriander (or cilantro) garnish on their plate, but simply hate the fact that devilish greenery even exists.

When it comes herbs, few are reviled or despised more than coriander.

To many, coriander has a tart, lemon/lime taste, but it can taste like dish soap or worse for millions of others.

The organiser of the I Hate Coriander Facebook page believes the 2021 international day should be a time to campaign for restaurants to indicate what dishes have coriander included in the same way as nuts or other allergens.

Pro tip: Coriander sucks.

While coriander won't necessarily spark an allergic reaction, people who find the herb disgusting would probably rather have their throat close up than sniff the stuff.

If you've been wondering why you don't like coriander, despite your best efforts, it looks like it comes down to genetics.

Professor Russell Keast, who specialises in sensory and food science at Deakin University's School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, said your genes play a big part in whether coriander is your friend or foe.

"We have smell receptors in our nose that are responsible for identifying volatile compounds in the atmosphere, including volatile compounds released from potential foods," he said.

"Sense of smell is highly variable between people, so what I experience may not be what you experience, and this can be due to quantity, type and natural variations with smell receptors."

But coriander isn't the only type of food that can be affected by these receptors.

I Hate Coriander/Facebook

"Somebody may have a great aversion to broccoli because they have the bitter taste receptors that are responsive to a specific compound in broccoli," Professor Keast continued.

"Whereas other people don't have that receptor variant and, therefore, don't experience the bitterness from broccoli."

He added that these types of genetics can also be related to your geographic upbringing. The expert suggested that many Aussies find fish sauce way too intense, however it's integral for South-East Asian populations in their cooking.

There's some evidence to suggest corianderphobes might be able to get over their aversion to it if they were to repeatedly eat the stuff, though we doubt they'll be lining up to take on this challenge.

Featured Image Credit: I Hate Coriander/Facebook

Topics: Food, News