New York’s Favorite Ice Cream Flavor Is Not What You’d Expect

Every single time I take my kid to the local ice cream stand, I stand there staring at the menu like I’m trying to solve a high-stakes math equation. I completely freeze up. Meanwhile, it turns out the rest of New York State has apparently had its mind made up for years, and the choice is, frankly, bizarre.

A study by Innerbody just tracked national search data to see which states are the most ice-cream-obsessed heading into the summer, and the Empire State came in at an impressive number five nationwide. We love our frozen desserts. But it’s our specific flavor profile that has me questioning everything. According to the data, New York’s absolute favorite, go-to ice cream flavor is... pistachio.

Pistachio! Seriously? Other than my grandpa, I have never been to an ice cream stand with a single living soul who actually ordered pistachio. If you told me it was the top flavor in 1954, I'd believe you. But today? We're apparently a state full of grandpas.

Breyers Rules the Empire State (But What About the Flavor?)

When it comes to brands, New Yorkers are sticking to the classics. The study found that Breyers is the number-one searched ice cream brand across the state. Honestly, that tracks. It’s reliable, it’s in every grocery store aisle from Buffalo to Brooklyn, and you always know what you’re getting.

But pairing that classic black tub of Breyers with green nut-flavored ice cream feels like a glitch in the matrix. Nationally, strawberry actually took the crown as America's favorite flavor, shockingly beating out vanilla and chocolate. Other states went for trendy things like matcha or cookie dough. But here in New York, we looked at a sea of options and collectively chose the nut that tastes like a sophisticated salad.

To be fair, I can't throw too much shade. My all-time favorite flavor is black licorice, which is almost impossible to find anywhere, so maybe I’m the weird one here.

The Northeast is Officially Running on Sugar

If you feel like there’s a scoop shop on every corner around here, you aren’t imagining it. The Northeast absolutely dominated this study, sweeping the entire top five for ice cream search interest.

Our neighbors over in New Jersey took the title of America's absolute most ice-cream-obsessed state. Delaware, Massachusetts, and Connecticut filled out the rest of the top slots right alongside New York. In total, our region contributes seven of the top ten ice-cream-loving states in the country. We might have brutal winters, but the second the sun peeks out, we are screaming for ice cream.

The Weirdest Takeaways From the Freeze

The rest of the country had some pretty hilarious data points, too. You would think the "Dairy Belt" would be leading the charge, right? Wrong. Despite being famous for all things cows and cheese, Wisconsin ranked 47th, and Minnesota ranked 48th for ice cream obsession. Maybe they just have it pumped directly into their sinks and don't need to Google it.

Meanwhile, Arkansas ranked dead last as the state least interested in a cold treat. Also, the fourth-most-popular "ice cream" brand in the country is technically Talenti, which is gelato, but Americans apparently don't care about technicalities when there's sea salt caramel involved.

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So, New York, I guess we'll keep holding down that number five spot. But seriously... if you are one of the people driving up the search volume for pistachio, please step forward and explain yourself.