LOGAN – Do you ever get tired of national studies telling you things about your own home that you already know intuitively?
The nice folks at Innerbody Research who seem to know – and care, I guess – have released the earth-shattering news that Utah ranks as the tenth most ice-cream-obsessed state in the nation.
Well, duh.
The only real news about that revelation is the fact that we’re not the top state in the nation. After all, in a place that’s practically jam-packed with tee-totalers, Utahns gotta get their jollies somewhere and what could be safer than the local ice cream parlor.
The researchers at Innerbody also report that Cold Stone Creamery is the most popular ice cream parlor in the state, which probably comes as a surprise to everyone lined up outside the Aggie Ice Cream outlets up at Utah State University.
But we should probably all stay mum about Aggie Ice Cream for as long as possible to keep some bigmouth from California from discovering that Cache Valley secret.
There’s no secret to protect when it comes to Utah’s favorite ice cream flavor, however. Say it with me – good old-fashioned Vanilla.
The team at Innerbody Research recently analyzed national search data to find out which states crave ice cream the most and the least, according to Eric Rodriguez, founder and CEO of the enterprise.
Along the way, they mapped popular brands and flavors that have the strongest followings and regional trends in the ice cream industry.
Contrary to popular local belief, they found New Jersey to be America’s most ice-cream-obsessed state, rather than Utah.
In fact, the northeast region sweeps the top five spots in that category, with Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York following closely behind New Jersey.
“At first glance, that seems a little backward,” Rodriguez acknowledges. “Ice cream is supposed to be a hot weather food, so why are colder states leading in search interest?”
The answer for the New England region is historical, he says, rather than seasonal.
“Long before refrigeration,” Rodriguez explains, “that region had the built-in advantages of access to both dairy products and stored ice … helping to turn ice cream from a novelty into something routine.”
Despite their reputations for dairy production, states like Wisconsin and Minnesota land inexplicably near the bottom of the national list, in 47th and 48th place respectively, while Arkansas sits at dead last.
Based in California, Innerbody Research tests and analyzes thousands of health products to help people make the best purchasing decisions. Its mission is to provide objective, science-based advice to help consumers make more informed choices.
Dining and Cooking