By Jordan Brennan
Chocolate pairs well with just about anything: peanut butter, fruits, pretzels – is there anything people won’t eat it with? In celebration of International Chocolate Day on September 13, we encourage everyone to immerse themselves in some chocolate-y goodness and take a look at this map, The Most Popular Chocolate-Covered Treat in Every U.S. State!
With just a short glimpse of this map, you’ll likely notice that a majority of U.S. states choose some pretty standard snacks to cover in chocolate, including fruits, nuts, and bacon. But there are also some more unorthodox items listed too. For instance, the people of North Dakota enjoy covering potato chips in chocolate in order to get that salty-sweet balance, and even more unique than that, North Carolinians’ favorite chocolate-covered snacks are crickets.
The article that provided this map also offers some insight into regional favorites: almonds & bananas were a favorite in the west, bacon reigned king over the midwest and south, while the northeast was the only region who had a three-way stalemate including bananas, cherries, and strawberries. In another figure showing the favorite treat to cover in chocolate overall across the U.S., readers may be thrown for a loop to learn that the top three were (1) bacon, (2) bananas, and (3) almonds. Quite a unique selection!
As you can see, although these snacks vary by state, one thing that doesn’t waver is everyone’s love of chocolate. In celebration of International Chocolate Day, consider sending a loved one their state’s favorite chocolate-covered treat. After all, what better way is there to commemorate your love of chocolate than to share it with others?