Coriander debate rages on as Deliveroo survey results show many Aussies hate it

It’s one of the most divisive everyday foods out there – but a new survey has revealed there’s a lot of people who really, really hate it.

It’s hard to find a more divisive food out there than coriander.

Loved by some and hated (with a passion) by others, it’s a topic you would want to steer clear of at a dinner party unless you were looking for a fight.

In a new survey by Deliveroo, 24 per cent of respondents said they hated coriander while 32 per cent loved it.

There was a further 12 per cent who had never tried the herb, while those that had reported the taste as fresh and citrusy (33 per cent), flowery (28 per cent) and bitter and soapy (22 per cent).

RELATED: Arnott’s epic twist on cult doughnut

Coriander, aka the “devil’s weed”. Picture: iStock.

The results were shared on popular Facebook page I Hate Coriander (yes, sentiment is that strong) in partnership with Deliveroo, where the “vile” herb got a, ahem, strong response.

“The devil’s weed!! The most disgusting, horrendous and putrid herb out there,” one person wrote

“Hate to be dramatic but I’d actually rather cut my leg off,” another said.

But not everyone felt that way, with one person even bravely declaring themselves a “fan” of the divisive garnish.

“Favourite herb along with dill and basil. All yum,” another said.

To coincide with the survey restaurants in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will be releasing special coriander themed meals through Deliveroo this week.

They include a coriander and coconut shake at Sydney’s Slide N Shake, lemon and coriander loaded fries at Melbourne’s Royal Stacks and coriander buffalo wings with coriander aioli from Big Rod’s Rippin’ Rib Shack in Brisbane.

RELATED: ‘Rude’ error sees shopper freebie axed

There’s a scientific reason why some people don’t like coriander. Picture: iStock.

Why do some people hate coriander?

There’s scientific evidence to back up why some people can’t stand coriander while others can’t get enough of it.

Sensory and food science expert Professor Russell Keast from Melbourne’s Deakin University said that our feelings towards coriander will depend on our genetics.

“We have smell receptors in our nose that are responsible for identifying volatile compounds in the atmosphere, including volatile compounds released from potential foods,” he said.

“Sense of smell is highly variable between people, so what I experience may not be what you experience, and this can be due to quantity, type and natural variations with smell receptors.”

The differences in smell receptors are why some people can’t stand certain foods like coriander or broccoli.

“Somebody may have a great aversion to broccoli because they have the bitter taste receptors that are responsive to a specific compound in broccoli. Whereas other people don’t have that receptor variant and, therefore, don’t experience the bitterness from broccoli,” Professor Keast said.