I have loved cilantro (also known as coriander) passionately since first eating it in a Vietnamese restaurant in a former gas station in downtown Chicago when I was 10. And most people seemed to agree with me that it is the best herb ever. Only in recent years did I stumble upon the vocal minority of cilantro-haters—the people who think my beloved cilantro tastes like soap. I do not understand them. But Nature News offers some insight. Turns out, dislike of cilantro is linked to a variation in a gene associated with our sense of smell. Bonus: If you hate cilantro whole, there’s some evidence to suggest you might like it pulverized in a pesto.