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What does your Mexican food say about you?

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Contributed by: Tricia Bennett on 4/25/2008

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, and close to one-third of Americans celebrate the holiday by eating Mexican food. And, when it comes to eating Mexican food, what you choose to eat can give insight into your personality and help predict who you're most romantically compatible with.

A recent Mexican food personality study conducted by Dr. Alan Hirsch, Director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, on behalf of Qdoba Mexican Grill found that preferences for Mexican foods such as tacos, burritos and quesadillas can indicate very specific and unique personality traits. For example, if you prefer to eat tacos, you are typically conscientious, a perfectionist and an ideal worker - similar to the personality of America Ferrera in Ugly Betty.

Interestingly, Dr. Hirsch found that more than half of people in Denver tend to prefer burritos and therefore tend to be dramatic and love being the center of attention. They crave novelty, excitement and stimulation, and are seductive and flirtatious in romance and gregarious, witty, and charming in
social situations.

Please find more information on Dr. Hirsch's research in the details below. The research explores:

Qdoba Q-dentity Study
The results of a recent Mexican food "Q-dentity" study conducted by Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, on behalf of Qdoba Mexican Grill found that the saying "You Are What You Eat" may be especially true when it comes to Mexican foods and also can help predict your perfect romantic match.

Dr. Hirsch's report reveals that preferences for Mexican foods such as tacos, burritos and quesadillas can indicate very specific and unique personality traits. Following are Mexican food preferences and personalities and romantic matches from Dr. Hirsch's report:

Taco: People who prefer tacos are conscientious and perfectionists and are ideal workers. On the job they take over, accomplishing monumental tasks. They are the master of their domain and can become so engrossed in work that they are often forced to sacrifice time with family and friends. Some examples of this personality include: John Turturro as Sid Lidz in Unstrung Heroes, America Ferrera as Betty Suarez, in Ugly Betty, Larry Linville as Major Frank Burns in the series MASH, and Tony Randall as Felix Unger, in The Odd Couple. People who prefer tacos are most romantically compatible with those who prefer quesadillas.

Quesadilla: A dependable and true friend, those who prefer quesadillas are content being one of the crowd; they are loyal followers more than leaders. At work they are the foot soldiers, task-oriented, functioning ideally in a group. They don't require individual praise, but share their successes with those around them. They toil behind the scenes for others at work or in their family. In romantic relationships they invest extraordinary effort and energy to try to insure the relationship's vitality and stability. They are the rock and driving force in the relationship. Some examples of this personality include: Talia Shire as Adrianne, in Rocky and Bill Murray as Bob Wiley, in What About Bob? Those who prefer quesadillas are most romantically compatible with people who prefer tacos.

Chips and Salsa: These people are aggressive, successful, achievement-orientated, and natural leaders. Intolerant of defeat, those who prefer chips and salsa will not take no for an answer. Competitive, ambitious, self-assured, they are decisive and persuasive at work, whereas in romance they are charming. They can become impatient with the myriad vicissitudes of life. Avoid going against a chips and salsa lover, for those who go against them could be in for a fight. Some examples of this personality include: Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina in Ugly Betty, Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada, or Nicholas Cage as Jack Campbell in The Family Man. Chips and salsa people are most romantically compatible with others who also prefer chips and salsa.

Burrito: Burrito lovers are dramatic and love being the center of attention. They crave novelty, excitement and stimulation, and are seductive and flirtatious in romance and gregarious, witty, and charming in social situations. Neither shy nor subdued, they readily display their emotions. At work they are easily bored with usual routines and have a keen sense of new and up-and-coming trends. Some examples of burrito-loving personalities include: Owen Wilson as Dupree in You, Me and Dupree, James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos; Annette Benning as Carolyn Burnham in American Beauty, and Michel Serrault as ZaZa Napoli in La Cage aux Folles. Burrito lovers are romantically compatible with everyone.

Taco Salad: People who prefer taco salads are easy going, well-adjusted, empathic, understanding, and are a perfect spouse, parent, and ideal friend. Some examples of this personality are: Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in Two and a Half Men and Orlando Bloom as Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean. People who prefer taco salads are most romantically compatible with those who prefer burritos.

Nachos: Finally, people who prefer nachos are shy, quiet, reserved and introverted. They are secure enough about their own identity that, to a great extent, they are oblivious to what others think of them. They are self sufficient and most productive when allowed to work alone, uninterrupted. Some examples of this personality include: Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada or Jenna Fischer as Pam in The Office. Nacho fans are independent souls and often enjoy being single.

"All of our behaviors reflect our underlying personalities," said Dr. Hirsch. "Whether it be the direction we comb our hair, the color shoes we wear, or car we drive, the choices we make indicate who we truly are. The question is, are we able to understand what these choices mean? With Mexican food preferences, we were able to find a correlation between which food people most enjoyed and what that meant about their underlying personality."

Those interested in learning more about their Mexican food choice and personality can go to www.Qdoba.com/Qdentity, to take a fun, personality quiz that will show which "Q-dentity" you align with or select from one of the six foods listed and learn what that food preference says about your personality. Visitors can also discover their romantic "food personality" match.

Dr. Hirsch's team interviewed more than 2,500 men and women between the ages of 21 and 70 in eleven cities across the nation for the study. Subjects were asked more than 2,000 questions to get a sense for their personality as well as asked which Mexican food they preferred: taco, burrito, quesadilla, taco salad, nachos or chips and salsa.

About Dr. Alan Hirsch
As the founder and neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, Dr. Hirsch specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of many smell- and taste-related disorders.

For more than 25 years, Dr. Hirsch has dedicated his medical career to helping people to overcome the loss of smell and taste sensations and once again enjoy fulfilling lives. He has also used his expertise to assist people with normal sensory abilities to take advantage of the full power of their senses of smell and taste.

To date, Dr. Hirsch has conducted more than 180 studies on sensory phenomena and disorders. Many of these studies have explored how enhancing certain smells and tastes can impact eating patterns, mood, perception and even learning speed. In addition, Dr. Hirsch is currently conducting more than 80 studies on the effects of smell and taste on weight loss, sleep, consumer preferences and sexual habits, among many other topics. His research has been featured on the CBS Early Show and Good Morning America as well as in Allure, Cosmopolitan, Self, Shape, Time Magazine, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal among others. For his full biography, visit www.scienceofsmell.com. His most recent books include What is Your Food Sign? and What Flavor is Your Personality?.

About Qdoba Mexican Grill
Qdoba's menu centers on large signature burritos that offer unique flavors, including poblano pesto, ancho chile barbecue, fajita ranchera and the queso burrito - Qdoba's most popular burrito. The menu also includes breakfast burritos, grilled quesadillas, salads, nachos, Naked Burritos®, tacos and Mexican Gumbo™. All entrees are prepared in front of the customer and topped with personally selected ingredients, including one of five distinctive salsas.

Qdoba Mexican Grill puts a fresh spin on flavors in its nouveau-Mexican fast-casual food. The menu offers a variety of choices that are all made fast, fresh and right in front of the customer. Since its beginning in Denver in 1995, the fast casual chain has shown continued growth with more than 400 restaurants in 39 states. Qdoba is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jack in the Box Inc. (NYSE:JBX). Franchise development rights exist for additional Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurants in areas throughout the nation. For more information about Qdoba, please visit www.qdoba.com.

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