Most Beloved Dessert in Each State
What makes America great are the diverse people living across all 50 states, and with a huge mix of people comes a mix of culinary delights. Banana pudding, for example, originated in New York City but became a staple of Southern cooking in America.
But what’s popular in one state may not be in others. With so many varying tastes across the country, is there one dessert that is the most popular overall?
Coventry Direct did the hard work of determining which desserts are the most popular in each state. Does your favorite dessert match that of the state you live in?
Measuring Sweet Tooths Nationwide
To find which desserts are the most popular in each state, Coventry Direct took 40 of the most popular desserts and calculated them next to Google search trends in all 50 states. The results are based on data from 2022, determining which desserts were searched the most across the U.S.
The Most Popular Dessert
Five states place ice cream as their most popular dessert, making it the most popular overall. Americans may love it, but New Zealand is the leading country when it comes to ice cream consumption worldwide, eating an average of 7.5 gallons per person each year.
The origins of ice cream are hard to pin down. Iced treats have been around since approximately 4000 B.C. In the U.S., it quickly became a popular dessert, with even George Washington purchasing an ice cream machine for his home in 1784.
America’s Favorite Pie
Apple pies are commonly known as truly American, but the apple pie failed to make the top of the list in any state in terms of the most popular desserts. The phrase “as American as apple pie” originates from the Johnny Appleseed folktale and was wildly popular during World War II. Soldiers would reference apple pie when they were interviewed, and soon after, the dessert became a symbol for all things American.
Pecan pie is the top pie in the U.S., ranking first in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. It might come as little surprise to Texans that the pecan pie ranked first in Texas since the pecan tree is the official state tree in the Lone Star State.
Still Room for Jell-O
New York is the birthplace of many American desserts, including banana pudding and Jell-O, which rank as some of the most popular desserts in the U.S. Jell-O rose in popularity thanks to its classic advertising campaign and its slogan “There’s Always Room for Jell-O.”
After the original inventor had little success with the product in 1845, Pearle Wait experimented with the gelatin creation by adding fruit flavoring and created what we now know as Jell-O. In America, through the beginning of the 20th century, Jell-O reigned as one of the most popular desserts, peaking in 1968. As of 2022, Jell-O sales still managed to make close to $700 million a year.
Beyond America
When looking at other data in other countries, tiramisu is reportedly the most popular dessert in Italy, while creme brulee is the most popular in France. Surprisingly, over half of the people in the United Kingdom reportedly name apple pie as their favorite dessert.
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