It seems that the old saying is true: when it comes to love, the way to the heart really is through the stomach – at least according to a new study.
Brand new research into the nature of attraction and its links to food and cooking found that the ability to cook is now seen as just as attractive as having a good body.
In fact, as many as one in five Americans say cooking ability is their biggest turn on – which is the same number who said a good body was the thing that got them going the most.
Substance over style: A new survey reveals that Americans think that talents as a cook are just as attractive as a nice body
The new survey of 1007 Americans across the country found that the number one attractive quality someone can have is, surprisingly, a good education – with 46 per cent feeling that this was crucial.
The research, which was commissioned by Hello Fresh, also looked at the relationship between attraction and food.
And while brains thankfully triumphs over beauty, the power of food was clear in the results of the survey – with three in ten Americans saying that cooking an enjoyable meal can actually be even more satisfying than sex.
A cheeky one in four even confess that they have used their cooking skills to try and seduce potential partners.
And making up that one in four are nearly twice as many men as women likely to use the tactic – as 30 per cent of men admit to using cooking in an attempt to seduce someone compared to just 18 per cent of ladies.
It turns out that men are also more likely than women to get cooking – literally – entirely in the nude, with as many as 15 per cent of respondents overall admitting to doing food prep in the buff.
‘These results confirm what many adults already knew… that cooking is sexy,’ says Seth Goldman, CEO, HelloFresh U.S.
‘And what better way to prove that than by preparing a delicious, wholesome home-cooked meal – for or with your significant other.’
The study also found American passion for cooking goes far beyond getting fuel – two thirds believe cooking is actually an art form.
Just over a third (35 per cent) of respondents consider cooking to be a chore.
Long lines at the grocery store are the biggest thing to make cooking seem like a chore, with women more likely than men to get stressed out if unable to get the ingredients they want.