(WGHP) — Surveys can tell us a lot about ourselves on a variety of issues. Our preferences related to Thanksgiving foods tells us a lot.
First, is it North Carolina against the world when it comes to the preferred pie?
High Point University conducted a poll of adult North Carolinians that found most chose pumpkin pie as their favorite dessert.
But the Vacationer’s Thanksgiving Travel national poll shows pumpkin pie as among the most hated of all the dishes served at the traditional holiday feast. In fact, pumpkin was the only pie on a list that included cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes.
Let’s drill down below the whipped cream on this issue:
In HPU’s poll, 22% of the 811 respondents said they preferred pumpkin. Apple and pecan tied for second (18%), and then sweet potato pie – pumpkin by another name? – had 14%.
But then maybe we should look at it this way: 78% liked another pie BETTER than pumpkin.
Vacationer’s data came from 1,092 Americans, more of the female (52.75%) and nearly a third between the ages of 30 and 44.
HPU’s poll managers didn’t offer comments on their findings, but Vacationer said the negative number on pumpkin pie was equivalent to 53 million people nationally.
By the way, cranberry sauce (29.92%), turkey (28.09%), and green bean casserole (24.61%) were the least-liked traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Pumpkin pie ranked eighth-worst on that list.
The lists
HPU’S complete list of favorite pies:
- Pumpkin, 22%
- Apple and pecan, 18%
- Sweet potato, 14%
- Chocolate, 9%
- Cherry, 5%
- Blueberry, 4%
- Peach, 3%
- Strawberry, 2%
- “Other,” 6%
The disliked foods list:
- Cranberry sauce, 29.92%
- Turkey, 28.09%
- Green bean casserole, 24.61%
- Sweet potatoes or yams, 24.25%
- Stuffing/dressing, 23.42%
- Coleslaw, 21.68%
- Ham, 21.23%
- Pumpkin pie, 20.77%
- Mashed potatoes, 17.57%
- Macaroni and cheese, 14.73%
- Corn, 13.82%
- Carrots, 12.08%
If it matters, HPU used both telephones and only interviews. Vacationer used Survey Monkey. Managers say both were structured in accordance with appropriate polling methods and analysis.
Vacationer says its data does suggest that younger Americans are overwhelmingly pickier eaters than older people.
What did you forget?
But to this, we add these findings from Shipt, a delivery service, about its Thanksgiving Most Forgotten List of shoppable grocery items.
Shipt’s research shows that the items that shoppers most often say they forgot while shopping for Thanksgiving were cranberries (33%), fragrant spice (30%), and at No. 5 pumpkin spices (20%).
Was that a Freudian forgotten list? Do you dislike an item and forget to pick up its essential ingredients?
Those same shoppers’ list of most frequently purchased items in the days leading up to Thanksgiving did include pie crust but not the filling.
We don’t know who and how many Shipt surveyed for this (61% of respondents did admit to forgetting at least one item), but some would suggest they had their priorities in order:
Only 14% of Americans forgot the booze.
