Do you love or hate cilantro? Here are 2 very good reasons to add this herb to your diet, plus 6 tips to do so! 

But, if you are a 'hater' like me and if your salsa tastes less zesty and more Zest-y (get it, SOAPY?!), your genes may be to blame.
 
The scent of cilantro—a classic salsa ingredient—comes from a combination of natural chemicals, many of which are identical or similar to chemicals found in hand lotions and soap. Yep it's true!

People with “cilantrophobia” usually describe the taste as “soapy,” “like dish detergent,” and most revoltingly, “like dirty dishwater.” (Here’s hoping they haven’t actually tasted dirty dishwater.)
 
But at least one research scientist who tested the cilantro preference of identical twins suggests that the like (or dislike) of the herb may be genetic.

Charles Wysocki, a behavior neuroscientist from Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, discovered that more than 80% of identical twins rate cilantro the same way, while only 40% of non-identical twins (but twins nonetheless) rated it similarly.
 
More systematic research needs to be done to further evaluate the hypothesis, but our genes may contain a cilantro love/hate trait.
 
Try the below wildly delicious and healthy Wild Rice & Chicken Breast dish, courtesy of the Biggest Loser Resort!

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