Recent research has found that when it comes to dinner time, many people stick with homegrown favourites, but what if DNA could bring a link to past favourites to the plate?
Many who took part in the research noted they wish they’d had an old family recipe passed down to them, so they could recreate the food their grandparents used to make for them.
The findings come as Gousto, who commissioned the report, launch a new dining experience called DNA Dishes, for Brits to uncover their hidden heritage, and discover new dishes and recipe inspiration based on the results.
They have teamed up with genealogy biotech experts Living DNA after 8 in 10 (84%) revealed they are in the dark about their family origins.
Six out of 10 of those surveyed revealed they have fewer than 10 recipes in their cooking repertoire, including sausage and mash and beans on toast.
Curious cooks can sign up for a free at-home DNA Dishes. Taking part is as simple as sending a test swab to Living DNA for expert analysis, with Gousto then dishing-out personalised recipe ideas inspired by your results.
Daring to dine more adventurously, much to Professor Green’s surprise – as footage reveals – he’s not Scottish or Scandi as he thought, but of French (35%) and Northwest Germanic (20%) descendancy, with a dash of a Irish (12%) in him.
“I’m genuinely so surprised by my DNA Dishes results; none of my family knew we had French blood in us, or German and Irish. I was convinced I was Scottish, if anything.
Finding out I have these connections has definitely made me want to be more experimental with my cooking as I’ve always been a bit of a pizza, pie and mash man, but I now I want to try new dishes from these countries.” -Professor Green
TV presenter AJ Odudu, who discovered that she has ancestry from Nigeria and Cameroon added:
“Both my parents are from polygamous homes so I thought there might be some mysteries in my family history. I’ve always been certain I’m Nigerian through-and-through, but to find out about my DNA down to my ethnic ancestry is really cool!
“Having never met my grandparents, I now feel like I can connect with them further in some way through the food I cook, and I’m mega excited to get my mum around for dinner to cook some of the new recipes I’ve learnt.”
The latest innovation from Gousto was created to help people connect with family through food after research revealed that half of the nation only know their origins as far back as two generations, and nearly two thirds of respondents wouldn’t know how to cook dishes from their heritage.
