Can you even imagine eating a sandwich without a condiment or two slathered in between the bread and the fillings? With so many sauces you can dip French fries in or spread onto a burger, which one is the most preferred time and time again? And an even more contentious question: Which is the least favorite of them all?
Courtesy of Harris Poll, the popular grocery delivery service, Instacart, conducted an online survey from June 24-28, 2021 among over 2,000 adults to find out which condiments consumers love the most. Shockingly, the least favorite condiment based on survey respondents is hot sauce, with 24% indicating they "hate hot sauce with a passion."
"Hot sauce is one of the most controversial condiments amongst Americans," Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart's Trends Expert, tells Eat This, Not That!
But, that still means that the other 76% of respondents either enjoy the condiment or are indifferent. According to Instacart purchase data, hot sauce is one of the most popular condiments online shoppers buy in many U.S. cities. In fact, the grocery delivery service reportedly delivered enough hot sauce to fill 14,000 kiddie pools over the past year.
Hot sauce isn't the only beloved condiment that received some backlash in the survey. Here are six other popular ones that respondents expressed an aversion to:
Relish
Some 21% of survey respondents said they can't stand relish, which usually consists of chopped pickles and herbs. According to the survey results, Millennials (ages 25-40) had the biggest beef with the condiment, as 28% responded that they strongly dislike it.
Mustard is a simple sauce that many Americans enjoy, whether on a hot dog or on a warm Cuban sandwich. Still, 17% of respondents said they hate the slightly bitter condiment, largely due to the younger crowd. About 37% of the Gen-Z adults (ages 11-24) who responded to the survey said they hate the condiment with a passion.
While aioli has seemingly taken diners by storm in recent years, classic mayo still holds a special place in many Americans' hearts—that is, with the exception of the 15% of respondents that said they despise it. Oddly enough, 34% of respondents also said they would be embarrassed to dip their French fries in mayo.
The go-to dipping sauce for veggie sticks or even mozzarella sticks is strongly disliked by 13% of survey respondents. Some 23% of respondents who do enjoy ranch said they would be self-conscious about drizzling it on pizza in front of others.
BBQ Sauce
Only 11% of respondents said they cannot stand BBQ sauce. The survey also revealed that people living in southern and midwestern cities are especially partial to tangy BBQ sauce, whereas those living in cities on the west coast and in the southwest are more likely to reach for a bottle of hot sauce.
"It's fascinating to see just how much of an impact geography and culture can have on our preferences, but the proof is in the sauce on this one," says Romaniuk.
Speaking of the midwest, you'll want to know that This U.S. Region Is Becoming the Next Napa Valley!
Ketchup
Finally, some 10% of Americans say they don't care for ketchup, with another 23% admitting it's the single condiment they would use for the rest of their life if they had to choose.
Shockingly, the least favorite condiment based on survey respondents is hot sauce, with 24% indicating they "hate hot sauce with a passion." "Hot sauce is one of the most controversial condiments amongst Americans," Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart's Trends Expert, tells Eat This, Not That!
According to the results of a survey conducted in June 2021, the most hated condiment by consumers in the United States is hot sauce, with approximately 24 percent of respondents indicating that they hate hot sauce. In second place was relish, which was hated by around 21 percent of respondents.
Ketchup. Ketchup is the most popular condiment in the United States, with over 10 billion ounces sold every year. It is a tomato-based sauce that is typically used on burgers, fries, and hot dogs.
Ketchup, mustard, and mayo are some classic staples. If you were to guess ketchup as America's top pick, you might have been right a couple of years ago.
In 2021, mayonnaise was the top condiment in the United States, with sales of approximately 164 million U.S. dollars. This constitutes an increase of nearly 20 million U.S. dollars in comparison to 2019. Ranch was in second place with nearly 103 million U.S. dollars of ranch sold in 2021.
Mustard is one of the world's oldest condiments. In the late 4th to early 5th century, the Romans were combining a mixture of ground mustard, pepper, caraway, lovage, grilled coriander seeds, dill, celery, thyme, oregano, onion, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and oil, to be used as a glaze for wild boar.
But the hottest sauce in the world is Pure Evil 13 Million, which is a pure concentrate that reaches 13 million on the Scoville Scale. Not for the feint of heart! A single drop from the vial will be plenty to heat up a meal. If you want to try the hottest pepper in the world, we'd recommend pure Carolina Reaper Puree.
Charlotte leads the nation in per capita consumption of ketchup, according to a survey by the A.C. Nielson Co. Omaha, Neb., was No. 2 and Atlanta placed third.
Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.
According to the survey, 68 percent of Americans who eat hot dogs say they top their hot dogs with mustard, followed by ketchup (61 percent), onions (44 percent), relish (41 percent), chili (30 percent), cheese (29 percent), sauerkraut (20 percent), mayo (19 percent), bacon (14 percent), jalapenos (13 percent), and ...
Per-capita sales in the sauces & condiments market worldwide by country in 2022. Japan is leading the ranking by average volume per capita in the 'Sauces & Spices' segment of the food market, recording 59.41 kilograms.
While there are countless condiments that add flair to dishes across the globe, soy sauce has secured its position as the most popular condiment, thanks to its versatility, rich flavor, and widespread appeal.
Mustard is a simple sauce that many Americans enjoy, whether on a hot dog or on a warm Cuban sandwich. Still, 17% of respondents said they hate the slightly bitter condiment, largely due to the younger crowd.
“Anything that can be eaten on its own — like a standalone dish — doesn't count as a condiment. Hummus isn't a condiment because you can eat it as a standalone thing. I'm on the fence about guacamole, though. In my opinion, salsa is a condiment, and ketchup/mustard/mayo (I swear by Kewpie) are for sure.”
Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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