Pizza Personality

Your personality can be summed up according to your favourite pizza topping, according to world-renowned Smell and Taste expert Dr Alan Hirsch.

Teaming up with Milano to identify what the most popular pizza toppings suggest about someone’s personality, Dr Hirsch’s study also reveals which are the most romantically compatible.

The research found that pepperoni lovers – such as Prince Harry who is apparently a fan – tend to display extrovert characteristics, while diners who like pizzas topped with an egg are supportive and trustworthy but don’t naturally seek out the limelight.

The report looked at eight pizzas, which included five top sellers and three new additions to Milano’s menu. The Pizza Personalities were then generated using a pool of 500 adults who took part in a comprehensive range of psychiatric and personality tests. Dr Hirsch used a bespoke form of ‘Pizza Rorschach’ testing – similar to the inkblot tests used to decipher underlying character traits – to analyse what favourite toppings say about a person. (See accompanying images.)

Among the other discoveries were that people who love a debate or might be described as cautious or good with money would usually opt for a creamy béchamel-based pizza, while having goat’s cheese on your doughy dish means you are most likely to be sensitive and easy-going.

Dr Hirsch says: “It’s long been known, thanks to Freud, that your personality will dictate what you look for in your food. For example, if you like spicy foods then you tend to be a risk-taker and like the adrenaline rush that comes with it, whereas people who prefer a lot of protein in their meal are often more sociable or outgoing. Food can be such an emotive thing – the taste, texture, smell – and we often prefer certain foods because of an underlying personality trait.”

The study also revealed the compatibility of the different Pizza Personalities, proving that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. This sort of information is advantageous when it comes to a first date, as Dr Hirsch explains: “You can tell a lot about someone by what they like on their pizza, which is useful when you’re on a date. You don’t just need to ask questions to get to know them; look at what they order to find out if they really are your perfect match or not.”

This hypothesis could lead to some ‘interesting’ romantic couples. For example, the lover of a chicken topped pizza, whose personality is summed up as competitive, driven and assertive, is well matched with a principled and intelligent partner, who would most likely choose prawns or salmon as a topping. This indicates that someone like tennis ace Andy Murray and someone like the sexy and smart Carol Vorderman could be a match made in heaven. According to Dr Hirsch, fans of vegetable topped pizzas are self-absorbed, dramatic and flirtatious and are un-surprisingly most suited to people just like themselves – so perhaps we will see selfie-obsessed Lauren Goodger out for a romantic dinner with MIC charmer, Spencer Matthews, in the near future.
Head of Menu at Milano, Holly Davies, says: “Our work with Dr Hirsch has given us real insight into why we tend to order the same thing when we go back to our favourite restaurants. We’re calling for people to try something different this month. You might just discover your new favourite suits your personality better – or find a new person to be compatible with.”