Food is arguably the sixth love language. There must a reason why love and food are always associated; candle lit dinners and chocolate covered fruits are staples when it comes to romance. Food is interpreted into love when you take the time to know someone’s favourite cuisine, what they hate, and of course if they have any allergies.

Irish playwright George Benard Shaw believed “there is no love sincerer than the love of food” but without love poured into it, food is just food. It’s essential for our survival, and eating can sometimes feel like a chore.

A survey by Retail Gazette discovered that 36 per cent of adults believe that homemade meals are the best expression of love, and 35 per cent think a candle lit dinner beats any other form of date. When you think about it, cooking incorporates quality time, acts of service and gift giving, three of the core love languages.

I think cooking a meal for someone to welcome them home after a busy day is the ultimate form of love. It could just be spaghetti Bolognese but knowing that love has gone into the dish, heals most wounds. Making food for people is an act of vulnerability and trust. The person might not like the food – or they may even get food poisoning if you’re not the best chef.

But it’s the effort and attention to detail that matters. My sister recently got married, and in her speech she mentioned my brother in laws love of porridge. He learns how everyone in the house likes it, adding any ingredient under the sun to make it ‘perfect’, he will even start over and make it again if his children aren’t content. Cooking for people requires you to learn tiny details about them. It’s the art of knowing, remembering and putting other people’s enjoyment above your own.

The food I pour the most love into is banana bread. Last year, I wanted my friend to have a substantial breakfast on our first day back at university, so I decided to make a banana bread the night before despite feeling very tired. Unfortunately, the result was two second degree burns, but she loved her breakfast, so it was worth it.

More recently, my ridiculous dog ate my dad’s birthday banana bread at 3am, and. I was the only one who woke up to the noise in the kitchen. Despite being very drunk, I made a new banana bread as he deserves a birthday cake more than anyone, and I felt very kind afterwards.

Making food for people is rewarding in so many ways. This is wild, but parts of the food you consume become part of your body’s energy for your lifetime. You really are what you eat, so it’s nice to eat something made with love.

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