Michigan’s Top Hot Sauce Will Surprise No One

I have only recently gotten into putting hot sauce on my food, which I understand is childish of me (I am reforming, please be patient with me). During my time of Hot Sauce Virginity, there were always three consistent condiments I'd see whenever I was at my friend's house: ketchup, mustard, and one specific hot sauce that, according to a recent report, apparently everyone in Michigan is a fan of.

What Is Instacart?

Founded in 2012, Instacart is an online grocery shopping and delivery service that allows users to let other people do their shopping by scheduling pick-ups from over 1400 stores including big names like Aldi, Costco, CVS, Kroger, and Sam's Club. 2021 saw the company expand to include EBT SNAP payments.

Michigan's Top Hot Sauce

Instacart has released a report showing the most popular hot sauces ordered in each state. States in the South like Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas were all fans of Louisana Hot Sauce, while California and Nevada were fans of Tapatio. But then you see a huge mass of red absorbing most of the Midwest and Northeast. What does the red stand for? Frank's Red Hot.

It's not just hot in your mouth. It is red hot across the country, including Michigan. Of the 50 states included in the report, Frank's Red Hot is the most popular hot sauce in 16 states. This isn't very surprising though, is it? How many recipes do you see at restaurants where Frank's is the flagship ingredient?

Other Facts Instacart Revealed

The report also featured a "heat map" showing how hot each state prefers its hot sauce, as well as revealing North Dakota buys the most hot sauce per customer, while South Dakota buys the least.

This revelation has confirmed a long-held theory of mine: there is not a unified Dakota because of the Great Hot Sauce Debate. If you want to see the other details of the report, you can find it here.