What Are People in Each State Grilling and Drinking This Memorial Day? Google Has the Answers
Lots of people have fruits and vegetables on the brain.
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Looking for some recipe inspiration for Memorial Day? Google might be able to help. The search giant just released some food-related data around the unofficial start of summer that provides many clues into how Americans will likely celebrate the long weekend, which is typically marked with outdoor cookouts and barbecues.
In that vein, the Google team shared the most uniquely searched grilled recipes by state from May 5 to May 12. While “uniquely searched” doesn’t translate to what people searched for most often, it does denote when a state searched for something more than all of the U.S. For example, residents of Hawaii, Mississippi, and Nevada were most intrigued by “lobster tail,” while those who live in Maine, South Dakota and Wyoming, were more preoccupied with “pork chops.”
The map showed some other interesting trends emerging as well. While Memorial Day is traditionally seen as a very meat-centric holiday, many Americans’ Google searches revolved around plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables.
Image courtesy of Google
For example, searches for “pineapple” reigned supreme in several states, including Idaho, Minnesota and Utah. And searches for “portobello mushroom” peaked in Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York. Other popular vegan options included “asparagus” and “artichoke.”
And since no Memorial Day meal is complete without a cocktail, the Google folks also shared a separate data set for the most uniquely searched cocktail recipes by state from May 11 to May 17.
One clear winner was a “preakness,” which is inspired by the seasonal horse race of the same name. It’s made with American rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine and Angostura bitters. The drink was popular in Colorado, Connecticut, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Another common search query was for a “slippery nipple,” which is typically made with Irish cream liqueur and anise-flavored sambuca. That particular libation was most searched in Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and South Dakota.
By contrast, overwhelmingly popular choices like “margarita” and “mojito” only took the No. 1 spot in Wyoming and Massachusetts, respectively.
For some additional Memorial Day recipes, check out this curated list of Food Network favorites!
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