Thanksgiving Foods California Searches For On YouTube

CALIFORNIA – A new report suggests Thanksgiving eaters in California are in for some tasty mashed potatoes. That’s according to researchers at Google Trends, who studied internal Google & YouTube data, as well as the Google Trends tool, to see what each state is searching for on the massive video streaming service.

“From compiling recipes to getting inspired, people are increasingly turning to YouTube to help them on turkey day,” the authors wrote. And just as you have a preferred dish, each state has its most popular Thanksgiving foods. Here’s how California ranks in search interest for turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and various pies.

• Turkey: 46
• Stuffing: 34
• Mashed potatoes: 4
• Cranberry sauce: 15
• Pie: 47
• Apple pie: 33
• Pumpkin pie: 14
• Pecan pie: 28

YouTube search interest for the Thanksgiving holiday has surged to a record high, the study said. There are currently more than 4 million recipe-related videos on YouTube and searches for "how to carve a turkey" have increased by more than 60 percent in the past year. Meanwhile, the amount of time people spent watching cooking videos with "holiday" in the title increased by 50 percent.

That trove of data can shed light on how taste preferences differ from state to state.

For example, turkey, a staple of the holiday, was searched for most in West Virginia, Vermont, Kentucky, and North Dakota. Turkey had the least search interest in Nevada, New Jersey, Texas and Florida.

Stuffing searches, meanwhile, were heaviest in New Hampshire and North Dakota, followed by Alaska and Vermont.

“The Dakotas are most interested in savory Thanksgiving foods,” the authors noted.

Alaska and North Dakota, interestingly, had the highest search interest for cranberry sauce, followed by New Hampshire and Delaware. Wyoming West Virginia, Vermont and South Dakota had the least interest in cranberry sauce.

It appears mashed potatoes are most popular in coastal states. California, Connecticut, and Delaware all ranked in the top five, the authors said. Midwesterners, meanwhile, like what comes after the main course.

“The East Coast has the heaviest volume of Thanksgiving food interest on YouTube,” the report said. “But when it comes to Thanksgiving desserts, the Midwest rises to the top.”

• YouTube search interest in “apple pie” was higher in the North, with Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Montana, Washington and Idaho all ranking in the top 10.
• Search interest in “apple picking” was highest in the Northeast.
• Interest in “pumpkin pie” was highest west of the Mississippi River, with New Mexico, Oregon, and Alaska expressing the most interest.
• Vermont, Mississippi and Oklahoma were most interested in “pecan pie.”
• Vermont has the most interest in “Friendsgiving” and “Thanksgiving.”

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report; Photo credit: Matthew Mead/Associated Press