Property News · June 12, 2016

Meet coriander’s closest cousin: Peruvian black mint


There’s hope for those who intensely dislike coriander: Peruvian black mint is the new herb on the block…I might as well come clean now: I hate coriander. I hate everything about it: its detergent-like scent, its gut-wrenching flavour and the fact that the words “Asian”, “Thai” or “herb” in any UK restaurant now seem to be a euphemism for the presence of a tonne of the stuff on your plate. And I am not alone. Despite being consistently voted the UK’s favourite herb, the strong love or hate reactions it elicits are down to genetics.Along with around 12-20% of the population, I possess a mutation of the OR6A2 gene, which causes me to perceive an aldehyde chemical in coriander leaves. The effect is that I don’t find them “fresh” or “citrusy” to taste, as others often describe – in fact, to me they’re bleach-like and metallic, like the scent of drain cleaner. If coriander is your culinary kryptonite too, it’s possible your aversion to the stuff is also hard-wired into your genes, explaining its eternally divisive effect at dinner parties. Continue reading…

Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Meet coriander’s closest cousin: Peruvian black mint

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