The online dating-scape is not easy to navigate. It is a challenge to find the right match based on a few photographs and a short bio. Users are hungry for deeper connections. Noticing this need, dating apps are introducing features that allow individuals to highlight their interests and lifestyle habits. And the top contender right now, to know if someone is compatible with you? Their food habits.
Is culinary compatibility the new dating metric?
Ria (name changed) is a 19-year-old who lives in New Delhi and uses popular dating apps, Bumble and Hinge. “Food has been an important part of my social life,” claims the young college-goer. “Being with someone who is open to exploring new cuisines and dishes can be a common ground that we can easily connect over.” Someone’s dietary habits can tell us a lot more about them, such as are they adventurous? Are they health conscious? So these pointers can be helpful in picking a date.
Food preferences in India have larger implications too. Vegetarianism can be a political and caste-based issue, and users are conscious of this. A Noida-based 19-year old shares, “I am hesitant about sharing that I am a non-vegetarian, mostly because of the intolerance that exists. I generally match with people who are agnostic or atheist, and liberal or left in ideology and I have found more tolerance among those groups.”
68 percent of users said they prioritise food choices when making dating decisions
What does the data say?
Data shared by Indian dating apps has revealed that food is an important category. Tinder users can add up to five ‘Interests’ on their profiles. Popular food-related interests among Indian users are Maggi, sushi, biryani, street food, vegan cooking, baking and Korean food.
In a survey conducted by One Poll for the app, 94% of young singles in India agreed that being aligned on interest in food and restaurants is important with the person they are dating. (The survey was of 1,000 Indians between the ages of 18 to 25 across India in March-April 2022). Their internal data suggests that female users on Tinder find being vegan as one of the most attractive interests in a potential match.
Bumble, the other market leader in dating apps, conducted an internal survey that revealed that 73% of singles in India believe that one of the best ways to bond when dating is over food. 68% agreed with the statement “On a first date, I would prefer to go with ‘adventurous’ food options over ‘safe’ food options”. And 68% also agreed with, “When making dating decisions, I prioritise food choices.”
Table for two
The most popular dating idea for Indians is restaurant or pub hopping. The dating app Happn, has a feature called CrushPoints where users can meet singles who like and go to the same places as them. In most Indian cities, the top 10 places are restaurants or bars.
For example, in Bengaluru, Bob’s Bar, Cafe Coffee Day and 1522 The Pub make the list. In Mumbai, Colaba Social and Pizza by the Bay charted. While in Delhi, establishments like Hauz Khas Social, Cafe Delhi Heights and Lord of the Drinks were on the list.
On the other hand, some users are not influenced by the food preferences of their partners. Aditi, a 21-year-old from Bengaluru said, “Matching food interests are not very high on my list of priorities. As long as we can find intersecting tastes and interests when it comes to places to visit, I am game. You can be the vada pav to my chai sutta! I think the right amount of similar-but-different tastes make for the best dates – there is enough common ground to stand together on, with enough diversity to explore new territory.”
Food preferences in India have larger implications of caste and politics too
Kunal, a 30-year old from Mumbai shared candidly, “I tend to swipe right based on looks and personality, and put everything else secondary. I’m not picky at all and am happy to accommodate allergies and preferences. But I draw the line at being disrespectful to wait staff. While that’s not strictly in the ‘dating and food’ category, I have had some bad experiences, enough to look out for manners.”
So, while individual opinions may vary, it looks like samosas are the quickest way to find your soulmate.
With inputs from Gaurika Mehrotra
Published - October 16, 2024 12:47 pm IST
