If you’re dating, you might want to spend less time online at OkCupid and more time in line — at the gelateria. According to research by neurologist Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, founder of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, your favorite scoop may reveal your true colors. He also claims that matching compatible gelato personalities can lead to romance.
“... People hoping to walk down the aisle may find the freezer aisle offers the sweetest path,” Hirsch told Dreyer’s/Edy’s.
Hirsch’s work may sound soft-served, but he stands by his studies, which he conducted for both Dreyer’s/Edy’s and Baskin-Robbins. He used multiple standardized psychiatric and personality tests to determine correlations between adults’ flavor preferences and personality traits.
Not convinced? Let Hirsch drop some science on you: “This approach makes anatomical sense, because the part of the brain where one processes food preferences, the olfactory cortex, is part of the limbic system — the emotional brain, the same area where personality resides,” he says. Also, food preferences, developed from ages 0 to 7, are formed at the same time personality develops. So these two factors are correlated anatomically and temporally.” Boom.
Get the scoop on your own gelato personality — and discover your flavor’s soulmate below! You can also take a fun 10-question test on icecream.com.
Pair Up With Your Perfect Scoop
Vanilla
Fans of this simple flavor are not plain Janes. “They’re colorful, dramatic risk-takers who rely more on intuition than logic,” says Hirsch. Vanilla lovers express themselves freely and exchange public hugs and kisses with glee. Impulsive, with high ideals and even higher goals, they may topple like an overstacked sugar cone if they fail to meet their own standards. According to Hirsch, “They rely on a secure, romantic relationship to redirect their energies toward realistic, attainable goals.”
Match to make it a double: Vanilla swirls nicely in relationships with Rocky Road.
Chocolate
You flirt, you! Chocolate lovers know how to lay on the charm and seduction. They’re the life of the party, enjoying lots of attention. Dramatic and vivacious, chocolate fans can become bored with the same old thing. It’s also easy to deceive them, as they’re sometimes gullible.
Match to make it a double: Chocolate shakes it up with butter pecan or chocolate chip.
Strawberry
Devoted, tolerant, and on the quiet side, strawberry aficionados make good friends. They are also thoughtful and logical, and only make decisions after considering every option. (Perhaps they’re the ones asking for lots of samples at the ice-cream shop — before choosing strawberry, of course!) “They tend to be shy and reserved and get to know a prospective partner well before committing to a relationship,” says Hirsch.
Match to make it a double: Strawberry is a flexible smoothie, finding happily-ever-after with lots of flavors: another strawberry, rocky road, mint chocolate chip, or vanilla.
Coffee
If you fill your waffle cone with coffee, you’re likely conscientious and have high morals. Coffee enthusiasts also know how to live life to the fullest and “thrive on the passion of the moment,” says Hirsch. They like adventure and seek new experiences. This means their love life can be dramatic, but they won’t be shy about saying, “I love you.”
Match to make it a double: Coffee’s heart melts around strawberry.
Chocolate Chip
Competitive, visionary go-getters, chocolate-chip fanatics know how to work hard and play hard. Despite being busy with their many C-suite duties, they’re also known for their generosity and charisma. We suspect that billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group and social butterfly, may enjoy a hearty bowl of chocolate chip ice cream. They also like to be catered to and are intolerant of defeat.
Match to make it a double: Chocolate chip spoons with butter pecan.
Mint Chocolate Chip
Ask an attorney her favorite flavor, and it may likely be this classic combo. Argumentative, ambitious, and confident, devotees of mint chocolate chip “aren’t fully satisfied until they find the tarnish on the silver lining,” says Hirsch. They like to plan for the future and be careful with their finances.
Match to make it a double: Mint chocolate chip is most compatible with its own kind, but butter pecan may also make for a sweet sundae.
Butter Pecan
These are the people you want on your team at work. Butter pecan fans are respectful, devoted, conscientious, orderly, and hold high standards for themselves. They won’t waste your time or resources. They also show integrity and care about others’ feelings. Butter pecans also know how to keep a commitment. (If you’re nuts about butter pecan, please consider running for office! We need more of you!)
Match to make it a double: Butter pecan chills sweetly with another butter pecan or mint chocolate chip.
Rocky Road
Need a good listener? Find someone who loves rocky road. These charming, engaging friends can also be sensitive to unintended slights. Just be sure to encourage rather than criticize them. Rocky road buffs tend to be successful, perhaps because they’re also aggressive and driven. They can lose their temper when they have to wait in line — so to be extra kind, order their ice cream for them.
Match to make it a double: Rocky road gets all gooey with another rocky road.
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Next time you’re treating yourself to your chosen frozen confection, notice what the cutie next to you selects to see if your flavors will clash or melt deliciously together.
Here are a few more flavors that haven’t been romantically paired by Hirsch. If they’re your favorites, maybe your love will like a wild-card scoop, like turmeric and ginger, salty licorice, or habanero peach!
Rainbow Sherbet
“We found that people who prefer Rainbow Sherbet are more pessimistic than you would think, in spite of the flavor’s bright taste profile,” says Hirsch. Far from fruity, rainbow sherbert fiends are analytic and decisive.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Were you voted “most likely to succeed” in high school? Then you might have a fever for this indulgent flavor, first created by Ben & Jerry’s in 1984. You may also be described as competitive and ambitious, with a strong vision for the future.
Pralines ’n Cream
What a sweetie! You’re supportive, loving, and shy away from the spotlight.
