wunder beta📘 Why do some people hate coriander but not others?
Fresh coriander leaves, called cilantro in much of North America, release a mixture of volatile chemicals. When you chew them, some of those molecules travel from the mouth up behind the palate into the nasal cavity. That retronasal smell i
6
lessons
~30 min
to learn
Adults
level
What you’ll learn
- The Same Herb Can Become Different Flavor
- Aldehydes Supply the Divisive Notes
- Olfaction Is Naturally Individual
- Flavor Is a Prediction, Not a Chemical Photograph
- Preference Can Change Without Erasing Biology
- The Real Answer Is Multi-Layered
Grounded in trusted sources
- Eriksson et al., A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference - https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2044-7248-1-22
- Trimmer et al., Genetic variation across the human olfactory receptor repertoire alters odor perception - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31040214/
- Logan, Do you smell what I smell? Genetic variation in olfactory perception - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25109969/
- Knaapila et al., Genetic analysis of chemosensory traits in human twins - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22977065/
- Paz et al., Chemical Composition of Fresh Leaves Headspace Aroma and Essential Oils of Four Coriander Cultivars - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35251089/
Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.
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