Which Recipes Are Americans Searching For Most While In Quarantine?

Since we're all cooking more than ever right now, it makes sense that Google searches for various recipes are spiking. Not everyone has a stack of trusty cookbooks lining their shelves, and online recipes have the added benefit of reviews from satisfied home chefs. But as we've seen with Halloween candy choices, each of the 50 states has slightly different needs when it comes to putting a meal on the table. The Daily Meal recently looked at Google trends and shared which cooking terms residents of each state searched for over the past month; the findings are an interesting snapshot of how Americans are sheltering in place.

We've all had a good laugh about the current sourdough bread obsession playing out in real time on social media, but in reality, it is a different bread that reigns supreme: banana bread recipes were the most searched for in all 50 states across the last 90 days. Perhaps because it has the added advantage of functioning as both breakfast and dessert? And, unlike sourdough, doesn't require being regularly fed like a pet or a child? In any case, we've got a recipe right here, no Googling required.

Let's acknowledge some state-by-state champions. Alaska, Illinois, Montana, and Oregon are all furiously searching for cinnamon roll recipes, while both Carolinas mainly searched for a good pound cake. Virginia, meanwhile, has been looking for a unique way to use up all those bananas: in banana pudding. Virginia, have we got the recipe for you.

Nevada also gets points in our book, because while many states had top searches for "hamburger" and "hamburger meat" (totally understandable!), the Silver State was Googling recipes for pork loin. Delicious choice, Nevada. And perhaps looking for an extra jolt of vitamin D during all this indoors time, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey all went looking for the best preparations for salmon. We have our own thoughts on that topic.

All in all, there's nothing too surprising in the list; if anything, it's a reminder that the classics on the American dining table became the classics for a reason. We've always wanted to cook economically, reduce food waste, use up everything in our pantries, and make a nourishing meal feel like an indulgent one, too. And, as North and South Carolina demonstrate, we really want to get some use out of that bundt pan gathering dust on the shelf.