The Most Popular Jelly Bean Flavor in America Is Disturbing

Sarah Rae Smith
Sarah Rae Smith
Sarah Rae Smith has lived all across the Midwest and currently calls the bratwurst-laden city of Sheboygan home. She seeks out kitchens that make the best pie and farmers with fresh eggs.
published Mar 8, 2018
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Over the past 10 years, Candystore.com has been recording the highest-selling jelly bean flavors per state in addition to tallying thousands of votes from individuals across America. (I know, right? We’re all in the wrong profession. We could have been candy counters all along!)

Trends come and go in the food world, but even with the influx of new flavors hitting the market, black licorice had been the number one flavor in the country for almost 50 years. That’s a very long time for any flavor to dominate the throne, let alone a flavor that is usually a little polarizing.

But this year, a new flavor took the crown and it’s incredibly odd in my personal opinion: buttered popcorn! Why on earth are people buying this flavor when the fruit-flavored ones are still around or, even better, those Starburst jelly beans (which are so, so delicious)? Having a savory jelly bean take the number-one spot seems wrong on so many levels. Second place this year went to black licorice, and cinnamon (what?) took the third spot.

See the entire ranking: America’s Favorite Jelly Beans by State from Candy Store

When you take a look at the information by state, it becomes even more curious. Chocolate jelly beans are the most popular bean in Illinois, and the citizens of Montana love cotton candy jelly beans.

Do you have the same tastes as the rest of your state?

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