Have you found your love match? What your taste buds say about your personality

Watch Dinner Date South Africa S2 on BBC Lifestyle (DStv channel 174) from Wednesday, February 26 at 8pm

14 February 2020 - 12:36
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BBC Lifestyle's 'Dinner Date South Africa' starts on Wednesday, February 26 on DStv channel 174.
BBC Lifestyle's 'Dinner Date South Africa' starts on Wednesday, February 26 on DStv channel 174.
Image: Supplied/BBC Lifestyle

What if you were on a blind date and you could judge (or block) your future bae by their food preference? They’re deciding between a blue steak or the rare lamb chops and you’re wondering if it’s not too late to pretend that your friend has sent you an emergency WhatsApp. Picky much?

Well, a few studies show that you are what you eat in more ways than one and dining habits can reveal a few secrets about someone’s true personality.

These kinds of insights put a whole new spin on the hit dating show Dinner Date South Africa, which will be putting love on the menu when it returns to the number one international lifestyle channel on DStv, BBC Lifestyle, DStv channel 174, from February 26 at 8pm.

Dinner Date South Africa is back for a second season, serving up a new batch of hopeful singles looking to find true love through their love of good food. Each week one lucky singleton gets to choose three blind dates, making their decision based on menus prepared by five prospective dates.

Their three chosen dates then cook them a meal in their own homes with the hope of impressing and making a romantic connection. Will the night be as sweet as their menus, or will it all go up in flames?

After the three dates, the hopeful hosts prepare for a night out at a swanky restaurant but only one will be chosen, leaving the other two with a night in alone with a microwave meal.

Watch the Dinner Date SA trailer below:

Next time you’re deciding whether to swipe left or right IRL, use this research-based guide to give you a few clues ...

Your date orders steak and shakes salt all over the chips before tasting them

Watch out for a competitive and ambitious nature. Clinical psychologist Dr Jen Nash recently shared that salty foods are linked to impatience and intense gratification.

This type will most likely use their hooter when stuck in Fourways traffic or get frustrated if the Shisa Nyama in Langa doesn’t have their favourite boerewors.

If they like their meat medium rare, you might be dealing with a perfectionist; medium, they’re a mild-mannered softie; and well-done, they’re no nonsense.

Hit the eject button if they go for the bloodiest, bluest option. They’ll tend to be cool, dissociated and pretend they never followed the #KFCproposal.

They say: ‘I’ll have the vindaloo curry, a side of chakalaka and don’t forget the chilli, please’

Wow. You might just be playing with fire here. Thrill seekers love spicy food. According to research conducted at Pennsylvania State University, US, if people enjoy the burning sensation of capsicum or carry that hot sauce in their bag, it’s the equivalent of chasing intense stimulation and they like living on the edge. Your next date may be a jump off Orlando Towers in Soweto.

What’s their love language? Your potential partner is partial to being rewarded — so amp up the praise to up your chances of a second date if you’re interested in a life full of adventure.

Mogodu with dombolo is the only thing your prospective bae wants for dinner.

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? A study published in the Appetite: Eating and Drinking journal showed that there is a strong correlation between liking bitter foods or drinks and antisocial personality traits.

Ouch! But don’t discount the person sitting across from you just yet: consider that while this dish naturally has a unique and slightly bitter flavour, the way it’s cooked may mask this. This SA delight is definitely an acquired taste.

Give them another chance, unless they also ask for a strong black coffee at the end of the meal or if they’ve been downing G&T’s throughout dinner.

They’re having a tough time choosing between the Greek salad or poké bowl.

What to read into this? A recent Helsinki Birth Cohort study looked at the association between personality and key health behaviours or dietary intake. It said that highly conscientious people are more likely to wear seat belts, work out, get enough sleep and eat fruits and vegetables.

You may have found yourself someone who’ll sign up for the Comrades or Midmar Mile and regularly gives money to the person selling Homeless Talk.

They ask to see the menu again to take a look at what desserts are on offer and choose malva pudding and ice cream

According to digital media company Vice, in neurologist and psychologist, Dr Alan Hirsch’s book What Flavour is Your Personality, he and his team looked at “the taste preferences and personality profiles of more than 18,000 people”.

The findings show that agreeable types and extroverts have an affinity for sweet food and sugary drinks, as do softies and romantics.

What’s their love language? Since people are more likely to do something kind after they’ve eaten something sweet, you could look forward to them cooking a meal, washing the dishes or any other act of service on your next date.

Dr Hirsch says: “Basically everything we do reflects our underlying personality — the direction you comb your hair, the colour tie you wear, the shoes you wear, even the model car you drive.”

So next time you’re watching Dinner Date South Africa, keep this in mind and see if you can read a little something extra into whether your date goes for someone extra salty, spicy or sweet.

Visit the BBC Lifestyle website for more information. Join the conversation by following the hashtag #DinnerDateSA and #BBCLifestyleSA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

This article was paid for by BBC Lifestyle.

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