Betcha Can’t Guess Massachusetts’ Favorite Chip & Dip
Here's a question, Berkshire County: What's your favorite chip and dip combination? And how do you think your preference ranks with what the rest of the Bay State prefers?
Now I happen to prefer things a little spicy, so I'll usually grab some Uncle Ray's Hot Chips or Utz's Red Hot Chips. Occasionally I might even snack on some Jalapeno Cheddar Cheetos or Flaming Hot Cheetos. Have you tried the Nashville Hot Cheetos yet? Delicious!
And sometimes when I'm feeling really bold, I'll indulge my inner demon with some Mama Zuma's Revenge Hot Habanero Chips or some Takis Fuego Hot Chili Pepper and Lime Tortilla Chips.
However, I realize that I'm not normal so I get it that what I would choose to snack on would not be the choice of most snack lovers. For the dip, if I'm going with potato chips, it would be onion dip. If I'm going with tortilla chips, it would be spicy jalapeno cheese dip. Mmmm-mmm!
What's your chip and dip of choice? Interestingly, Shane Company(or Shane Co), the largest independently owned jeweler in the United States, did a survey recently regarding the most popular chips and dips in every state.
Shane Co did this by looking at the most searched-for chips and dips by state according to Google Trends. And(this may not be a surprise to many of us Bay State residents) the most popular chip for Massachusetts is:
Yessir, Cape Cod Potato Chips are the most popular and they are delicious! If you're a fan of kettle-cooked chips, you certainly know what I'm talking about. I remember growing up, State Line Potato Chips were very popular in Massachusetts. They're still around, but it seems like they're getting harder and harder to find.
The number one most popular chip nationally overall is technically not even a chip. It's a potato crisp:
Yep, I'm sure most of you probably guessed it when I stressed that it was a crisp. Pringles Potato Crisps are the most popular in the United States overall as they had the majority of the search volume in more than 25% of the states.
I must say I was surprised by what came in at #2 overall. It's a chip, but it's not potato-based. It's made from corn:
That's right, folks. With wins in eight states, Tostitos came in #2 nationally overall. I should also mention that when I say I was surprised that it came in at #2, that wasn't meant as a knock toward Tostitos, which I happen to love. I was just expecting another potato chip GIANT at that spot. Oh wait, here they are at #3:
Lay's Potato Chips took the #3 spot. Lay's were predominantly the favorite choice amongst the southern states. Other top chip vote-getters were Ruffles, Cheetos, Miss Vicky's, Utz, Takis, Zapp's, and Doritos(which I thought would have placed higher).
Now, what about dips? What's your favorite? And how did your favorite place nationally? First off, what's your guess on the favorite dip of Bay Staters? I'm definitely the odd man out here because I can't stand this stuff(No offense meant to the chickpea):
Yes, you can have your hummus, thank you. I want no part of it. Now, I'll grant you that there are several kinds of hummus out there and I haven't tried them all, but...Yeah, no thanks.
By the way, hummus ranked #2 nationally overall(See? I told you I was the odd man out there). Actually, hummus tied with another kind of dip at #2 but we'll get to that in a second. The #1 most popular dip nationally(being the most searched-for dip in 15 states) was another dip that I'm not a fan of:
Guacamole dip was the most searched-for dip in 15 states, including Hawaii!!! Sorry, Hawaii, you lost my respect. Kidding. Coming in tied at #2 with hummus(each getting 11% of the states), was(finally!) a favorite of mine:
Yes, whatever you want to call it, spicy cheese dip, chili con queso(that's what Mom called it when I was a kid and she made it with the Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilis), or queso blanco dip(which is traditionally made with white cheese, hence the blanco), it's delicious!
Other popular dips include seven-layer dip, beer cheese dip, and pico de gallo. Trust me, it's a very interesting survey. Check it out for yourself and get more fun facts by visiting Shane Co's website here.