Despite the fact that cilantro is happily consumed by millions of people around the world, it inspires “a primal revulsion among an outspoken minority of eaters” who say it tastes like soap. Studies have suggested that some people are genetically predisposed to dislike the herb, and flavor chemists have determined that the herb’s aroma comes from a half-dozen or so substances called aldehydes–some of which are also found in soaps.