The Love-Hate Relationship with Coriander香菜到底是香还是怪？
“Coriander”， also known as cilantro， is a herb beloved by many people worldwide. It is used in various Chinese， Latin， Greek and Spanish dishes. Moreover， coriander is rich in vitamins， minerals and antioxidants and thus provides many health benefits， such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels and having anti-inflammatory properties.
香菜，又称芫荽，是一种受全球很多人所喜爱的草本植物。它用于各种中式、拉丁、希腊和西班牙的料理中。此外，香菜富含维生素、矿物质和抗氧化物质，因此有很多有利于健康的作用，如降低胆固醇和血糖值，且具有抗炎特性。
So why do some people hate coriander？ They describe it as having a metallic or soapy taste. The reason for this seems to be related to their genetic make-up. There are certain genes that make it taste unpleasant for some people. In countries or regions where coriander is commonly consumed， like India or Central America， few people possess coriander-hater genes. However， in places like East Asia， some 20 percent of the population find that coriander tastes like soap.
那么为什么有些人讨厌香菜呢？他们形容它有一种金属或肥皂的味道。其原因似乎与他们的基因构成有关。某些基因会使一些人觉得香菜很难吃。在香菜普遍食用的国家或地区，如印度或中美洲，很少人会有讨厌香菜的基因。而在东亚等地，约有20%的人觉得香菜尝起来像肥皂。
For those who hate this soapy herb， there’s a suitable day for them to join with others and pile on the hate—Feb. 24. This date is celebrated as International I Hate Coriander Day. A Facebook page named I Hate Coriander started in 2013 and soon swelled to 200，000 followers. The page became so popular that merchandise displaying people’s outright dislike for coriander was being sold on the site. Out of this page， the International I Hate Coriander Day was born.
对于那些厌恶这种肥皂味草本植物的人来说，有一个合适的日子──2月24日，可以让他们与其他人一起大肆抒发厌恶之情。这一天是“世界讨厌香菜日”。2013年，一个取名为“我恨香菜”的脸书主页诞生了，并很快扩大到拥有二十万名关注者。该主页如此受欢迎，以至在此网站上可买到能表达人们极度讨厌香菜的商品。由于这个主页，“世界讨厌香菜日”便应运而生。
In Japan， people are coriander crazy. The country boasts cafes and restaurants that specialize in dishes with coriander. The herb has found its way into various foods and products， including chips， soups， ramen， salads， cheeses， fried eggs， spring rolls and even candles. While some people would never want to eat coriander and would celebrate its demise， there are an equal number of folks who want to add it to everything they eat.
在日本，人们为香菜疯狂。这个国家以拥有专门制作香菜料理的咖啡厅和餐厅而自豪。这种植物已经融入各种食物和产品中，包括薯片、汤、拉面、沙拉、奶酪、煎蛋、春卷，甚至是蜡烛。虽然有些人永远也不会想吃香菜并且会庆祝它的消失，但也有同样多的人想把香菜加进他们吃的每一样东西中。
Word Bank
antioxidant n. 抗氧化剂；抗氧化物质
consume v. 吃；喝；饮
merchandise n. 商品；货品
demise n. 终止；失败；倒闭