The dating scene can be awkward and confusing, especially when navigating the treacherous waters that is online dating. Worse still, is when date chats venture into uncomfortable territory, with new research revealing that one in 10 (9%) dates end when chats turn political.

Sushi Daily, the UK’s biggest fresh sushi kiosk brand, sold within Waitrose and Asda supermarkets, reveals the biggest dating faux pas and the issues Brits face when choosing food to get them into the mood.

On the list of icks on dates, having bad table manners (39%), lying about age (23%) and taking food off plates without asking (14%) are amongst the top things that turn Brits off the most when it comes to romantic rendezvous.

The top 10 dating faux pas on dates:
Speaking about their ex – 46%
Having bad table manners – 39%
Only speaking about themselves – 35%
Being rude to staff at the date location – 31%
Speaking with their mouth full – 29%
Looking at their phone/answering a phone call – 27%
Not being able to take a joke – 23%
=. Lying about age – 23%
Taking you to the same location of previous dates – 15%
Taking food off their dates plate without asking – 14%

Prepping for a date is almost as daunting as the actual meetup, with Brits scrambling to get rid of any damming evidence on their phones. More than one in six Brits admit to conducting a digital detox before a date, by clearing their internet history (8%) and deleting messages form their inbox (8%) to make sure that any sneaky movements aren’t accidentally revealed.

Having the opportunity to try out a new cuisine is often seen as one of the perks of going out on a date or eating with friends. However, over a third (39%) of Brits are hesitant to try new foods if they’re unsure of what it is and over one in 10 (11%) will pass on a dish if they don’t know what it looks like.

People are particularly unversed in Asian cuisines, especially Japanese delicacies like sushi. Food dishes such as Maki (48%), Nigiri (47%) and Temaki (43%) are dishes people avoid simply due to their lack of knowledge, alongside other popular foods from Vietnamese culture like Bánh mì (47%) and Pho (37%).

There’s also the fear of embarrassment when ordering, with almost one in 10 (8%) of Brits researching foods before heading out to get to grips with the cuisine and restaurant of choice beforehand. A quarter (23%) of Brits also reveal that to help them face their fears, having an easy guide to understanding the food is something that would make them try something new.

T­o help people feel less confused and hesitant when faced with new foods, Sushi Daily has produced a vibrant coffee table book, ‘The Little Book of Sushi’. Through bright illustrations and easy to read descriptions of popular sushi products, it teaches people all they need to know about sushi when wining and dining their dates or eating with friends.

Talking about the research and ‘The Little Book of Sushi’, Romy Miller, Global Brand Director of Sushi Daily said: “At Sushi Daily we are on a mission to make sushi accessible to everyone. This research shows that people often shy away from enjoying food that they love, in particular Asian food, because they don’t know what it’s called.”

“We wrote ‘The Little Book of Sushi’, an educational and fun guide to help people feel at ease with Japanese cuisine.”