If you’ve not had much luck in the dating scene, you may want to boost your culinary skills. New research has revealed 86 percent of Americans find cooking to be a total turn-on.
The study of 2,000 Americans found 71 percent said cooking is their love language.
In fact, when it comes to settling down for good, finding a partner who can cook was a top priority for two out of three respondents.
And over four in five (81 percent) respondents who are married or in a relationship said they are still quite impressed when their partner cooks them a meal.
The survey, commissioned by The Little Potato Company and conducted by OnePoll, aimed to examine the role cooking plays in our relationships — and it’s quite a big one.
Two in three Americans polled agreed they would be more likely to go on a first date with somebody if they mentioned they’re a good cook on their dating profile.
An additional four in five said if a first date talked about how they liked to cook, they’d be much more open to a second date with them.
According to the results, the most surefire way to somebody’s heart is to cook them a meal — beating out flowers, phone calls and even presents as the best way to impress a romantic partner.
And you can skip the fancy night out at a restaurant — nearly double the number of respondents say they prefer home-cooked meal for a date.
Almost two-thirds said they’ve learned to cook or tried to get better at cooking to impress a date or partner.
Funnily enough, one in three Americans have actually tried to pass off store-bought food as their own cooking in an attempt to impress a date.
The top three most romantic meals you can cook for a potential partner were found to be steak and potatoes (40 percent), pasta and garlic bread (34 percent) and chicken and veggies (28 percent).
“Cooking is truly an act of love and, even if you are not an accomplished chef, you can still show people you care about them with a homecooked meal,” said Angela Santiago, CEO and co-founder, The Little Potato Company.
Having a good home-cooked meal every night is a dream come for a lot of the survey respondents.
According to the results, 43 percent of Americans would give up coffee if it meant somebody cooked them dinner every night and over one in three (35 percent) would even give up a planned vacation.
Cooking together is a favorite activity — 73 percent said cooking with their partner is one of their favorite things to do.
And it’s not all about romantic relationships, more than two-thirds of respondents (70 percent) said cooking with their family is one of their favorite ways to spend time together.
“Whether it’s memories of grandparents, teaching kids about healthy eating or impressing romantic partners, cooking and food is woven into every relationship we have,” said a spokesperson for The Little Potato Company.
“The Little Potato Company is happy to be a part of those stories, with healthy, easy and delicious ways to nurture those you love fresh food. We offer an array of fresh Creamer potato products that are endlessly versatile and so easy to make, with no washing or peeling required.”
Top 10 most romantic home-cooked meals
- Steak and potatoes: 40 percent
- Pasta and garlic bread: 34 percent
- Chicken and vegetables: 28 percent
- Pizza and salad: 24 percent
- Burger and fries: 23 percent
- Lobster and mac and cheese: 20 percent
- Soup: 18 percent
- Tacos: 15 percent
- Sushi: 12 percent
- Risotto: 12 percent