According to multiple sources, including, the reason why cilantro tastes like soap to some people is due to a genetic variation in a group of olfactory-receptor genes. Specifically, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) called rs72921001, which is located near a cluster of olfactory receptor genes on chromosome 11, is associated with detecting a soapy smell and disliking cilantro. This genetic quirk is usually only found in a small percentage of the population, though it varies geographically. East Asians have the highest incidence of this variation, with some studies showing that nearly 20% of the population experiences soapy-tasting cilantro. Despite the strength of the association of the SNP near OR6A2, it explains only about 0.5% of the variance in perceiving that cilantro tastes soapy.