Rounding out the Top 5 most searched recipes: Brussels sprouts, hashbrown casserole, guacamole and chicken marsala.
Say what you will about retro foods. They may be artery clogging, GMO-laced and not nearly as Instargrammable as that rainbow bagel you just inhaled, but they’re making a comeback. Google has unveiled its Year In Search for 2016 and green bean casserole topped the list of recipe searches in the U.S.. That’s a huge departure from last year’s winner: pumpkin seeds.
Rounding out the Top 5 most searched recipes: Brussels sprouts, hashbrown casserole, guacamole and chicken marsala. The top cocktail searches are way less diverse.
For the second year in a row, sangria tops the list (it ranked third in 2014) followed by martini, strawberry daiquiri, Sex on the Beach and mojito. Apparently, Spring Break is year-round for some people.
Here’s where things get interesting. The beer searches reveal consumers are becoming way more curious about craft beer. Budweiser came it at number one, where it’s been since 2014. And, yes, Coors is close behind. But in third place we have Treehouse Brewing, followed by Delirium Tremons (this could actually be referring to ethanol withdrawal, but our money is on the Belgium beer) and Snake Venom beer. Last year, Gose and grapefruit beers ranked high (no Coors in sight). These recent results are a complete departure from those just two years ago, where Budweiser, Corono, Keystone, Miller and Blue Moon ruled the Top 5.
Lest we forget about food guilt, calorie searches are a cornerstone of internet sleuthing. And this year, the Top 5 results reflect our collective attempts to try and be healthier. And boring. Most people wanted to know how many calories are packed into a Big Mac (if you have to ask, you probably shouldn’t eat one). But after that, it’s a downward spiral into another, way less caloric world: Coors, quinoa, a glass of wine and eggplant. Sounds like a really sad dinner for two. For comparison, we were much more carefree and loose with our food choices last year. Top calorie searches included: Toasted Graham Latte (introduced by Starbucks in September 2015), followed by Palm Breeze, Starbucks Flat White, Grilled Stuft Nachos (upon their triumphant return to Taco Bell) and Little Caesars Bacon Wrapped Deep Dish. It’s a safe assumption that we considered 2015 our binge year.
If 2017 food trend predictions are correct, we can expect to see things like delivery drones, faux meat and fried chicken on this list next year.
