Ice cream is a versatile, widely available dessert with a U.S. market worth over 15 billion dollars and continuing growth. Classic vanilla is the national favorite, with 38% of people ranking it top in a 2024 International Dairy Foods Association survey. Each state shows distinct flavor preferences influenced by local foods, drinks, and shop-created specialties. Examples include Alabama's preference for butter pecan, Alaska's akutaq—a traditional mix once made with animal fat, seal oil, fish and berries now adapted into sweet, berry-loaded versions—and Arkansas's purple vanilla. Colorado favors green tea according to a 2021 Instacart study.
It's therefore unsurprising that in the United States, the ice cream market is reportedly worth over 15 billion dollars, and it's continuing to grow. While classic vanilla is the nation's favorite flavor, with 38% of people ranking it top in a 2024 survey by the International Dairy Foods Association, there's certainly more to America's ice cream landscape than this. Across the U.S, each state has its own preference when it comes to deciding which flavor reigns supreme.
Alaska's famous akutaq was once made with animal fat, seal oil, fish, and berries, and served as a nutritious snack that natives could take with them during hunting expeditions. Today, this traditional recipe has been adapted into something with broader appeal - a sweet, berry-loaded ice cream. However, this still isn't your average cream-based scoop. Modern akutaq recipes see vegetable shortening melted and combined with sugar, water (or snow!), and mixed berries, before freezing everything until solid.
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