It’s truly harrowing to think of where would be without potatoes. Gen Z would have nothing to joke about. Perfectionist home cooks would have nothing to obsess over. And during times of peak egg prices, we’d have no cheap alternative for decorating at Easter. Luckily, we don’t have to imagine such a world, because potatoes are plentiful here, and American shoppers ought to have ready access to these hearty tubers this Thanksgiving. So, how do they plan to cook them?
Google Trends has released a wealth of holiday search data from the past month leading up to both Thanksgiving and the broader holiday season. The top search terms during that timeframe represent where our priorities lie—and clearly, they lie with spuds in all their glorious forms.
The map pictured above shows the most uniquely searched potato dish in each state over the past month—“uniquely searched” meaning that it was a disproportionately prevalent search term in that state versus the others. Looking over this list, not all of the preparations are what you’d expect to find so close to Thanksgiving, but more than anything, the map is a perfect illustration of the beautiful versatility of potatoes. There’s a spud recipe out there for everyone.
Here’s a list of all the dishes represented on the map:
- Smashed potatoes
- Mashed potatoes
- Aligot potatoes (mashed with cheese)
- Baked potatoes (see also: Twice baked potatoes)
- Scalloped potatoes
- Potatoes au gratin
- Potatoes O’Brien
- Potato tacos
- Ensalada de papa boricua (Puerto Rican potato salad)
- Potato casserole
- Potato soup (see also: Leek and potato soup; Creamy potato soup; Creamy potato burger soup)
- Potato cakes
- Potato candy
- Jackknife potato
- Cheesy potatoes
- Roasted potatoes
- Potato pie
- Parsley potatoes
- Potato donuts
- Fingerling potatoes
- Croquettes
- Potatoes Colcannon
Phew. If you’ve eaten all of those preparations before, the state of Idaho thanks you.
We’re kind of surprised to see Colcannon top the list in Georgia, since it’s an Irish recipe that isn’t exactly everyday fare outside the Emerald Isle. It ought to be a lot more popular here, though, since it’s essentially just mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage or kale, often elevated by a healthy amount of garlic. Hopefully Georgia’s Google history signals a delicious tater trend that’s on the rise across the country.
Then again, any method of preparing potatoes is just fine by us. For inspiration, you can check out our collection of recipes here, or zoom straight toward the recipe for a Thanksgiving icon: Millionaire Mashed Potatoes.