Is your favorite flavor the same as your state's?
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Alison Fox is a Travel + Leisure contributor. She has also written for Parents.com, The Wall Street Journal, and amNewYork. When she’s not in New York City, she can be found at the beach or on the slopes.
Updated on October 27, 2022
Fact checked byElizabeth MacLennan
Vanilla may be the most popular ice cream flavor in America, but those looking to branch out are filling their carts with Moose Tracks, Rocky Road, green tea, coffee, and birthday cake, according to a 2021 study from Instacart.
The sweet survey, which the food delivery company shared in July 2021, found those five flavors to be the most popular — aside from plain Jane vanilla, which accounts for more than 26% of all ice cream sales in the United States.
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"Americans' love for ice cream runs deep, and with thousands of different ice cream options available for purchase through Instacart, we thought it would be fascinating to dig into the data to uncover the most uniquely popular flavors in each state," Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart's trends expert, told T L. "It turns out that people across the country have a hankering for vanilla, peanut butter cups, and fudge since 'Moose Tracks' is the top unique flavor in 12 states."
In general, Americans tend to prefer chocolate ice cream — 24 states picked a flavor with chocolate as the base as their favorite. But not every state followed the trend: Buyers in Hawaii stuck with tropical flavors, picking mango ice cream above most else, while those in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut all chose pistachio.
Most ice creams appeared on the list more than once as a state's top pick, but Delaware (which picked cherry), Pennsylvania (which picked mint chip), and New Mexico (which picked chocolate, chocolate chip) each forged their own path by opting for a unique flavor.
To determine each state's favorite flavor, Instacart looked at ice cream sales and compared it to the national average.
These are the most popular flavors in each state, plus Washington D.C.
Alabama: Moose Tracks
Alaska: Green Tea
Arizona: Rocky Road
Arkansas: Rainbow Sherbet
California: Rocky Road
Colorado: Green Tea
Connecticut: Pistachio
Delaware: Cherry
Florida: Rum Raisin
Georgia: Rum Raisin
Hawaii: Mango
Idaho: Green Tea
Illinois: Moose Tracks
Indiana: Moose Tracks
Iowa: Moose Tracks
Kansas: Rainbow Sherbet
Kentucky: Chocolate Chip
Louisiana: Birthday Cake
Maine: Coffee
Maryland: Cookie Dough
Massachusetts: Coffee
Michigan: Moose Tracks
Minnesota: Moose Tracks
Mississippi: Birthday Cake
Missouri: Cookie Dough
Montana: Rainbow Sherbet
Nebraska: Moose Tracks
Nevada: Rocky Road
New Hampshire: Coffee
New Jersey: Pistachio
New Mexico: Chocolate Chocolate Chip
New York: Pistachio
North Carolina: Birthday Cake
North Dakota: Moose Tracks
Ohio: Chocolate Chip
Oklahoma: Cookie Dough
Oregon: Green Tea
Pennsylvania: Mint Chip
Rhode Island: Coffee
South Carolina: Moose Tracks
South Dakota: Birthday Cake
Tennessee: Moose Tracks
Texas: Rainbow Sherbet
Utah: Rocky Road
Vermont: Coffee
Virginia: Birthday Cake
Washington: Green Tea
Washington, D.C.: Mango
West Virginia: Moose Tracks
Wisconsin: Moose Tracks
Wyoming: Rocky Road
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I am an enthusiast with a deep understanding of food trends, particularly in the realm of ice cream preferences across the United States. My knowledge is grounded in extensive research, staying updated with the latest culinary studies, and following trends reported by reliable sources. I have a keen interest in understanding the diverse palate of Americans, especially when it comes to the frozen treat landscape.
Now, diving into the provided article, it explores the fascinating world of ice cream flavors and their popularity across different states in the U.S. The study, conducted by Instacart in 2021, sheds light on the unique flavor preferences that go beyond the classic vanilla, showcasing a rich tapestry of tastes that Americans indulge in.
According to the survey, the most popular ice cream flavor in America is vanilla, accounting for more than 26% of all ice cream sales. However, the article delves into the more adventurous choices made by consumers. The top five flavors, aside from vanilla, are Moose Tracks, Rocky Road, green tea, coffee, and birthday cake, as revealed by Instacart's study.
Instacart's trends expert, Laurentia Romaniuk, shares insights into the nation's ice cream preferences, noting that chocolate ice cream is favored in 24 states. However, there are interesting outliers like Hawaii, where tropical flavors like mango reign supreme, and the trio of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, which have a penchant for pistachio.
The study goes on to highlight unique regional favorites, such as Delaware's preference for cherry, Pennsylvania's love for mint chip, and New Mexico's choice of chocolate chocolate chip. The methodology for determining each state's favorite flavor involves analyzing ice cream sales and comparing them to the national average.
The article concludes with a comprehensive list of the most popular ice cream flavors in each state, along with Washington D.C. Here is a recap of the findings:
- Alabama: Moose Tracks
- Alaska: Green Tea
- Arizona: Rocky Road
- Arkansas: Rainbow Sherbet
- California: Rocky Road
- Colorado: Green Tea
- Connecticut: Pistachio
- Delaware: Cherry
- Florida: Rum Raisin
- Georgia: Rum Raisin
- Hawaii: Mango
- Idaho: Green Tea
- Illinois: Moose Tracks
- Indiana: Moose Tracks
- Iowa: Moose Tracks
- Kansas: Rainbow Sherbet
- Kentucky: Chocolate Chip
- Louisiana: Birthday Cake
- Maine: Coffee
- Maryland: Cookie Dough
- Massachusetts: Coffee
- Michigan: Moose Tracks
- Minnesota: Moose Tracks
- Mississippi: Birthday Cake
- Missouri: Cookie Dough
- Montana: Rainbow Sherbet
- Nebraska: Moose Tracks
- Nevada: Rocky Road
- New Hampshire: Coffee
- New Jersey: Pistachio
- New Mexico: Chocolate Chocolate Chip
- New York: Pistachio
- North Carolina: Birthday Cake
- North Dakota: Moose Tracks
- Ohio: Chocolate Chip
- Oklahoma: Cookie Dough
- Oregon: Green Tea
- Pennsylvania: Mint Chip
- Rhode Island: Coffee
- South Carolina: Moose Tracks
- South Dakota: Birthday Cake
- Tennessee: Moose Tracks
- Texas: Rainbow Sherbet
- Utah: Rocky Road
- Vermont: Coffee
- Virginia: Birthday Cake
- Washington: Green Tea
- Washington, D.C.: Mango
- West Virginia: Moose Tracks
- Wisconsin: Moose Tracks
- Wyoming: Rocky Road
This information provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse ice cream landscape in the United States, showcasing regional preferences and unique flavor choices.
