March 14 is National Potato Chip Day so BetMichigan.com took a break from Michigan sports betting and decided to go eye to eye with the popular, versatile, affordable snack food and see which state pushes all its chips to the center of the table. Sorry, Michiganders, it’s hated Ohio, where they’re most interested in chips.
BetMichigan.com — your source for online Michigan casinos — used Google Trends to see what states were most interested in potato chips. Then, we narrowed down which flavors locals love the most. According to search interest scores between Feb. 27 - March 5, Michigan residents enjoy Salt and Vinegar flavored potato chips the most.
One would think potato chips would be of most interest to the citizens of Idaho, since potatoes are so important to the state’s economy. But Idaho does not make the Top 10. Following Ohio in potato chip love is Wyoming, then comes Wisconsin and North Dakota (tied for third) and Pennsylvania.
In the second five are North Carolina (6th), Michigan and Kentucky (tied for 7th), and West Virginia and Vermont (tied for 9th). It’s not surprising that potato chips aren’t of interest in places like California, where Kale and Botox are searched more, but surprising that chips aren’t bigger in the South, where all the most popular foods are salty and fried.
Michigan residents do enjoy potato chips as they finished seven in the nation with a score of 82. Here are Michigan’s favorite potato chip flavors:
As for what flavors of chips the good people of Michigan like best when they want a good crunch, in first place, by a wide margin, is salt and vinegar. In second place is sour cream and onion, which sort of save the trouble adding an onion dip to a chip. The third-place chip is cheddar & sour cream, which I might only try if it was the last chip on Earth.
Michigan’s fourth favorite chip is the classic, with a pinch of salt, a staple of picnics, children’s birthday parties and bars. Parties for seniors are more likely to go with No. 10, the Low-Salt chip.
Tied for fifth place are Honey BBQ and Kettle Cooked, which isn’t so much a flavor as a means of preparation: Kettle-cooked chips can be thinner, crispier and greasier — aka better.
In seventh place is Ranch, the primary salad dressing besides oil and vinegar to make it onto potato chips. Who’s game to try Russian, French, or Green Goddess?
The relatively new Flamin’ Hot flavor takes the eighth spot, an interesting chip to rotate with the cooler Ranch flavor. Next up comes BBQ, which years ago was one of the few favors besides regular. And in 10th place is Low-Salt. Chip-lovers are not getting any younger, and American food is so salty. If you can give your blood pressure a break once in a while, it’s good. Although potato chips do need salt.
As for Michigan’s own chips, Better Made, out of Detroit, is said to be the most popular, but other home-grown brands include Downey’s from Waterford Township, Great Lakes from Traverse City and Uncle Ray’s from Detroit. Originally known as Cross & Peters, Better Made began in 1930 and now sells over 20 flavors of chips.
Author
Howard Gensler is a veteran journalist covering the Michigan sports betting market for BetMichigan.com. Before his focus on U.S. sports betting, Howard worked at the Philadelphia Daily News, TV Guide and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Howard is also a founding editor of bettorsinsider.com.
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