Meet the 'Gastrosexuals' - the men who cook to seduce their ladies!

Melbourne, July 26 : It is often said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but now, it seems tables have turned, for a new trend has hit male society called Gastrosexual - which implies that increasing numbers of men are taking up cooking in a bid to seduce their ladies.

The boom has been fuelled by the popularity of superstar chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, who have helped make cooking a macho pursuit.

Chef John Meredith, who runs James St Cooking School, in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, said half of the people booking his classes were men.

"It's very much about men wanting to attract the ladies by serving up a special dinner," News.com.au quoted him, as saying.

"They range from the 18-year-old student trying to be a cut-above, to the 59-year-old man who is newly divorced and maybe on the lookout for love again.

"Guys tend to come to the classes in small groups, which makes it less daunting for them, but often they have no need to worry because they turn out to be better cooks than the girls," he added.

According to UK research, men having the ability to cook is now a key factor in attracting women, along with salary, status, personality and appearance.

The increase in the number of women working full time has also contributed to the rise of the Gastrosexual male.

AustraliaScan social analyst David Chalke said men had been forced to learn how to feed themselves because they were marrying at a later age.

ANI