I'm unusually sensitive to bitterness, likely due to a TAS2R38 gene variant. Liver of any kind is intolerable, and the tannins in red wines make them register as extremely bitter and undrinkable. Despite hating tannic reds, I've always loved sweet white wines like moscato—though I can't have them anymore after my recent diabetes diagnosis.
Uni (raw sea urchin) is a hard no for me—the briny/iodine note and slick, custardy texture were instant deal-breakers.
These taste traits are mostly independent; the cilantro "soapy" effect is tied to variants near OR6A2—luckily, I don't have that one.
Chili heat barely registers—my TRPV1 response to capsaicin seems dialed way down—so I can enjoy the actual flavors of even the hottest peppers without blowing the thermostat. I taste the fruity brightness of ghost peppers (~0.8–1.0 million Scoville units), scorpion peppers (~1.2–2.0 million), and Carolina Reapers (~1.6–2.2 million) rather than just pain.
While in Thailand, I tried durian with ice cream. The first taste was nasty—everything people say about the fruit's smell and taste is true—but once I got past that initial shock, the richness with the ice cream was heavenly.
