What’s your favorite sweet treat? For many Americans, the answer is ice cream! Whether you’re a fan of classic vanilla or prefer something more adventurous like rocky road, there’s no denying that ice cream is a favorite dessert for people of all ages.
A new YouGov poll found that about four in five Americans (81%) say they would recognize the distinct jingle that ice cream trucks often play in the summertime. In addition, about one-quarter (24%) recall hearing an ice cream truck in the last month. Ultimately, the poll sought to determine Americans’ favorite treats from ice cream trucks. The results may surprise you!
The poll showed 1,000 U.S. adult citizens a series of 11 match-ups. Each match-up included two items selected randomly from a list of 29 desserts that are commonly sold at ice cream trucks (based on a mix of delicious in-person research and online lists of popular items). For each match-up, people were shown a picture of each treat and asked to choose which item they would prefer to get. The treats were then ranked by their “win percentage,” that is: how often each item won when it was included in a match-up — after being weighted in the usual way YouGov polls are, to ensure representativeness by factors such as gender, age, race, and education.
It’s a tie for the top spot! The Crunch Ice Cream Bar, the original peanut-covered Drumstick ice cream cone, and the classic vanilla ice cream sandwich all won 64.2% of their weighted match-ups. The chocolate-and-vanilla-twist ice cream cone took fourth place with a 62.4% weighted winning percentage, and the chocolate-coated Klondike bar rounded out the top five (60.1%). Most of the top treats included chocolate as one of their ingredients.
The Choco Taco, whose discontinuation was recently announced, landed in 11th place with a 55.2% win rate. This is a surprising result, given that the Choco Taco is essentially a piece of ice cream wrapped in a tortilla and dipped in chocolate. Perhaps the reason for its popularity is that it combines two of America’s favorite food groups: Mexican and dessert. Or maybe it’s just that people can’t resist the combination of chocolate and ice cream. Either way, it’s clear that the Choco Taco has a loyal following, and its fans will be sad to see it go.
We all know that looks can be deceiving. But when it comes to food, we usually expect what we see on the package to be an accurate representation of what’s inside. So you can imagine our surprise when the results of YouGov’s latest poll revealed that some of the most popular ice cream treats are actually the least photogenic. Character popsicles, in particular, fared poorly in the survey, with Spiderman, Spongebob, and Bubbles from the PowerPuff Girls taking the bottom three spots. In an effort to keep the items competitive but realistic, YouGov reportedly displayed the box image for each character popsicle alongside a real-life version of it. This may have worked against the characters, as it became apparent that they don’t look nearly as good in real life as they do on the box. Still, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would have expected such poor performance from these beloved childhood icons.
If you’re one of the 64% of Americans who haven’t ordered from an ice cream truck in the last year, we feel sorry for you. Just kidding – kind of. We know that there are a lot of great things on this list, but it looks like most people are passing on the opportunity to get their hands on some delicious treats. That said, if you’re looking for a unique and nostalgic treat, there’s no harm in giving one of these delicious classics a try. And who knows – maybe you’ll start a trend! In the meantime, be sure to sign up for our free newsletter so you can stay up-to-date on all the latest dessert news.
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This article is intended for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only and should not be construed as advice, guidance or counsel. It is provided without warranty of any kind.