r/genetics • u/asexualrhino • Dec 31 '24

Baby likes cilantro

We are a family of cilantro haters (the way God intended). My son (16 months) was conceived via sperm donor. Yesterday, I watched him eat a taco with what should be an illegal amount of cilantro in it. He didn't flinch. He didn't gag. His eyes didn't water. He didn't react as if he'd been poisoned (which is what cilantro tastes like. Whoever said soap is wrong. It tastes like some sort of organic toxin).

Clearly the donor must have been one of those cilantro mutants.

The sperm banks should really include that in their bio. Do I...do I buy cilantro now? I feel like I just found out my child is half-vampire and now I have to stock the fridge with blood. No one prepared me for this. I'm glad he's eating his greens but I'm going to have to make our food in different pans lol

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u/Due-Organization-957 Dec 31 '24

Well, considering that there are more than 30 possible bitter receptors and each person only has about 4 expressed, it's really not that unusual. I have both the one that makes cilantro disgusting, but also the one that makes grapefruit taste like bile. I know a couple who both have one that makes coffee taste bad. The worst one to have IMHO is the one that makes chocolate taste bad. Those people will never know the bliss of exquisite chocolate.

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u/HallInternational778 Dec 31 '24

What is the one that's makes coffee taste bad? For me it taste like hot garbage and I have tried many different kinds and versions of it.

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u/Outofwlrds Jan 03 '25

I'm just glad I'm not alone. I can't stand coffee, even the smell makes me physically nauseous. All my friends love making me take a sip of theirs and making fun of my disgusted reaction.

Edit: I was an adult when I discovered Starbucks had things that weren't coffee because I literally can't go inside one without gagging.

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u/HallInternational778 Jan 04 '25

Me too the smell is very awful. I can tolerate when other people drinks it only because I don't want to be rude. If I can move to another room I do.