Here’s a question guaranteed to stump your friends: Which state consumes more ice cream per capita than any other state in the nation?
It’s gotta be a warm weather state, right? After all, summers are the best time of year for some frosty treats. Maybe Florida? California? Hawaii, perhaps? Or maybe it’s one of those dairy producing states like Wisconsin or even good ol’ Pennsylvania. You’d be wrong with all those guesses. In fact, we’d give you 20 guesses and you probably wouldn’t answer correctly.
Give up? It’s Alaska. Alaskans eat more ice cream per person each year than any other state, but don’t ask us why, because we really don’t know. If anyone has any theories (or happens to know for sure), please enlighten us with a comment!
TODAY’S PRIZE: It’s a blast from the past with this vintage-looking tin toy. Just wind this little guy up and he peddles away, selling his ice cream for nickel a scoop. As always, we’ll choose one comment at random to receive this little distraction.
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If you’ve got a technical question about the ice cream making process or some other inquiry about the nuances of America’s favorite treat, chances are Ernie has the answer. He might not be able to answer all questions, but he’ll try his best and some may be featured on the Ice Cream Journal.
I’m surprised by Alaska. I eat more ice cream in the summer than in the winter.
I eat more ice cream in the winter time when its cold because i have more free time on my hand to relax and enjoy Turkey Hill ice cream& That vintage looking toy would look great on my computer desk
I have no idea why Alaska would be the biggest consuming state. Maybe the fat keeps them warm? Or maybe they just know a good thing when they eat it. We eat ice cream year round. Regardless if its winter,spring or fall. If its okay that Alaskan’s do it, in such cold conditions, so can we.
I would have thought Pennsylvania would be the largest consumer, being a dairy state.
I eat the same amount of ice cream all year round but it’s possible I might sneak in an extra treat in the summer so yes I’m surprised.
As is often the case my kids want to submit an entry as they love the toy. Sometimes I think they love all toys.
I wonder how much more they eat in Alaska as compared to the other states?
Maybe they eat more ice cream in Alaska — because they’re really, really tired of baked Alaska desserts??
Or maybe they know they can burn off the calories with lots of outdoor exercise?
I’m in the southern part of the U.S., but mainly serve ice cream, in the hot summer months.
I think it makes sense. They are cold all year long so they would eat this product all year long. Those of us that have various seasons tend to shy away from cold food in the winter and hot food in the summer – thus more ice cream in Alaska.
I figured it was New Hampshire. Specifically Nashua. In my living room.
Okay…I just got back from Alaska a week ago…visiting my sis…Have you seen some Alaskans?… Doesn’t surprise me!
I never would of guessed Alaska. Maybe they just like things cold thats why they live in Alaska!!
because they can.
Well I guess when you don’t have a lot do and your already frozen to begin with you can’t go wrong with a little Ice-Cream.
They probably eat more ice cream because they can really stock up when it’s on sale. No need for a freezer!
Ah !! I’m sure it’s in the winter that Alaska’s eat the most ice cream just
to warm up. AHHH The good old days. I remember 10 cents a dip. That is where my habit of having ice cream every day started . This guy must be a phillies player ( winter job ), if not he IS wearing his father’s uniform because he looks too young to be selling Ice Cream ( child labor law you know ) Plus two things I don’t see is a vender’s license on his cart or a license plate ( because it is a moving vehicles ). where is the T. H. label ??? As being old ( 72 ) I like old looking things & would gladly receive it. ( Is this convincing ? )
Alaska? Where did you get that fact from, Sarah Palin?
i would love this vintage thing-a-ma-jigger!! very cute!! pick me!
Never would have guessed Alaska. But hey…I eat ice cream in the winter.
ICE CREAM IS EATEN EVERYWHERE
I’m surprised by Alaska being the largest consumers. Love the toy!
Well, I’m guessing that the ice cream is not as cold as the weather outside….so they’re kinda, sorta eating something warm.
You’re right, I never would have guessed Alaska.
I’m a little suprised by Alaska, being that it is so cold there. I like to eat ice cream in the winter months as long as I am indoors.
We all scream for ice cream, but I am surprised that Alaska ranked # 1.
I love your little tin man toy.
I absolutely LOVE this little ice cream toy! I hope I win!
I was surprised by the Alaska factoid too – never would’ve guessed it.
Alaska? That is crazy! I don’t eat quite as much ice cream in the winter as I do in the summer.
I am surprised also it would be Alaska, you would think it would be a southern state
a shocker of alaska too how cute
It’s already cold there, so why not eat cold ice cream!!!
It’s already cold there, so why not eat some cold ice cream!!!
I’m surprised it isn’t NY with the way my husband eats ice cream! LOL!
Now that we know which state, what country eats the most ice cream?
Very Surprized it was Alaska.
That’s a good fact to know–it may come in handy when I try to stump my son-in-law in a game of little known facts–I may actually win a game with your help!!!!
I would have never guessed Alaska in a million years. Merry Christmas!
My daughter and I compete against each other who can eat the most icecream. We have so much fun.
Wow! I never would have guessed Alaska! With the amount of ice cream we eat in this house, I would have guessed New Jersey!
I can’t believe it’s Alaska. Or is it that it is so cold that’s all there is available.
I have seen Turkey Hill ice cream being eaten on tv shows like Everyone Loves Raymond, so the important thing is to get the word out that Turkey Hill is the best.
wow Alaska. I’ll have to e-mail my friends there and ask them how much they add to the consumption total LOL
i guessed PA, due to all the ice cream producers there, such as TH, breyers, and that other company whose name starts with B that i forget at the moment. PA consumes more pretzels than any other state i believe, soft and hard, with many producers in the Lancaster county area. pretzels go great with ice cream of course.
those older readers from the cherry hill, nj, area will fondly recall the (free) basket of stick pretzels on every table at the old Holly Ravine Farm’s Cow Tail Bar. their ‘kitchen sink’ sundae was something like 20 scoops! lots of ice cream consumed there.
I would’nt have guessed Alaska
Love the tin toy ice cream bike! I just wrote about that in a comment last week. In my Alabama neighborhood (early 1950s) the vendor wore an all white uniform and a white hat with a black visor. An ice cream bar cost 7-cents back then.
I would of never guessed Alaska eats the most ice cream.I went to Alaska 10 years ago and fell in love. I would move there in a heart beat if I could. I know I would fit right in because I am an ice cream aholic. I would have to get my Turkey Hill mint cookies and cream delivered to me!!!!It would be so nice eating Turkey Hill ice cream and viewing the northern lights!
I THINK ALASKA IS KNOWN AS THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN SO THEY HAVE MORE TIME TO PIG OUT
I would have gone for Maine, what with all your “hints.” Alaska came as a big surprise. Love today’s tin toy! Best wishes for a happy holiday to all!
Isn’t it dark half the ear in Alaska?!? What better to do than sit inside and cozy up with a big bowl of ice cream!!!
Okay, I’d never, ever guess Alaska!
Although Baked Alaska was at one time considered a very special dessert and I believe it included ice cream.
Alaska?? I guess you don’t have to worry about it melting right away..that’s a plus. Happy Holidays!
Alaska must have a lot of Turkey Hill! I think in the cold they need lots of comfort and there is no better dessert than ice cream. Thanks for the fun fact and happy holidays!
Never expected the answer to be Alaska. Can you imagine how high the numbers would be if they had access to Turkey Hill??? Season’s Greetings to all, and to all lots of Turkey Hill ice cream!
Merry Christmas everyone. I hope Santa fills your stockings with Turkey Hill!
Alaska!?! Who’d of guessed!
When I was in grade school, which was a long time ago, there was a picture of a boy eating ice cream and a caption stating that eating cold ice cream on a hot summer day actually makes you hotter. Maybe they eat ice cream in Alaska to stay warm.
Alaska…yes that was not one of my guesses. I love the tin.
I think I would love to live in Alaska and eat lots of ice-cream. Sounds like a great combination!
I guessed Alaska and I was right! I beleive ice cream is comfort food. You can do alot with it and it always makes you feel good. I figured with the dark winters and the cold they would need the comfort of ice cream more then anybody! I also beleive ice cream taste better when it’s cold!
Love the little distraction, as you called it, he would certainly be a coversation piece as you were discussing Alaskas ice cream habit. My take is regardless of the temperature ice cream warms you heart and soul and you feel good. That is why they eat lots of ice cream in Alaska and the other 49 states. I live in Maryland and we also eat our share of ice cream and of course Crabs!!!
I would not have guessed Alaska, but it makes sense, I eat as much ice cream in the winter as in the summer.
What better way to while away all those dark days & nites, in Alaska, than eating ice cream! I wonder if they have Turkey Hill up there? You should make sure they do!
Love the tin toy, reminds me of the wind-up tin toys my great Uncle had
Who would have thought it was Alaska? I think this would be a great question for Jeopardy. Why not eat Ice Cream, no matter what State. There are alot of people in Alaska. Linda
I would have guessed Alaska! Why not, ice cream is delightful in any venue, why not Alaska? I would love your vintage toy for my bookshelves.
Per capita – I can understand Alaska.
Thanks for the contest!
Merry Christmas to you all
cold in alaska! feels like i’m in alaska here in md.bitter cold. but hey
warm inside so bring on turkey hill.
I would eat ice cream no matter where I lived!
Turkey Hill good wholesome treat anytime or place.
Oh this is so cool! I collect vintage toys!
I never would’ve have guessed Alaska!
Merry Christmas and plenty of ice cream to all. HO HO HO!!!
I’m surprised by Alaska like everybody else. I would have expected the top state to also be one of the top producers, or to have the most brands. Maybe the Alaskans are proudcing a really good brand we don’t know about yet. Somebody go to Alaska and see what brands and flavors are available up there.
I imagine the reason might be because the # is figured on per capita…Personally I eat almost as much ice cream in winter as summer..Esp. on hot pie or Indian pudding !!
Alaskans love all things cold! that toy is so adorable!
I SCREAM YOU SCREAM WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM. ESPECIALLY IF IT’S TURKEY HILL!
I eat ice cream in any weather, hot or cold. The toy is cute.
Hi Turkey Hill and Fans,
I thought Maryland ate more ice cream. Alaska..I can see why.I love Alaska, I hope to visited Alaska one day. I need to save up enough money to go first. I think Alaska is so prety all-year round. I wanted taste some of their fresh fish, open air and see some of their river in a boat. Everyon ehave a bless and safe hoilday.
in Buffalo, New York no matter what the weather we eat ice cream
Maybe thay make baked Alaska.
Of course Alaska would eat more ice cream because they can go outside and eat it and not worry about it melting. They don’t even need a freezer to stock it in just stick it outside their igloo. The toy is real cute I bet my dad had one around 1915 but he didn’t have any Turkey Hill Ice Cream to eat.
That is a total suprise to me!
Not only does Turkey Hill produce the best tasting ice cream and dessert treat products to satisfy your stomach, but now they can also cater to and enrich your brian…I am learning new things each day with this blog. And its interesting stuff I will remember and pass on. And sure enough the researchers at Turkey Hill are right…after doing a little research of my own I was suprised and intrigued to find that each person consumes on average, 3 quarts oc ice cream a week! Evolutionally it kind of makes sense because those animals living in the cold weather need a higher percentage of body fat to insulate them during the frigid cold (50-70 degrees below zero)and to sustain themselves for periods when food would eb scarce or hard to find. They would thus crave higher density fatty foods…and humans as well, which are also animals, need to stay warm in the cold, so they crave the faty foods. Evolutionally, those that survived the winter did so because they had strong instincts to satisfy their cravings for fatty rich foods, and those are the people around reproducing today!
So Alaskans get the prize for eating the most ice cream, but every American can feel proud because Americans consume about 15 quarts (more than 13 liters) of ice cream per person per year—the most in the world. Also you want to give a little credit to those from Maryland because Jacob Fussell of Baltimore, Maryland was the first to manufacture ice cream on a large scale. This made ice cream prices drop so it was an affordable treat for everyone and made ice cream accessable to buy for many. My props to Maryland for sure!
I would think its New York .
I love ice cream and eat it all year long.
Hmmmm Alaska, who was 2nd NY MD or IL. Chicago. Being a font of useless information here is yet another to add to my repitoire. (Sp) lol
Wow! I’m quite surprised that it’s little (in population) Alaska.
really Alaska??
Wow…I’m surprised by Alaska but hey why not sit by the fire and enjoy a scoop or two of that old-friendly comfort food: ICE CREAM! The vintage wind-up toy looks neat…I like old things.
Alaskans are cold on the outside, might as well be cold on the inside eating Turkey Hill ice cream. Way to go!
Is per capita determined by dividing the population by the amount of ice cream sold? How is ice cream defined? Does it include ice cream in its pure form as well as variations such as ice cream cakes? This just proves that a large populated state does not necessarily consume the most ice cream. Maybe in Alaska ice cream is one of the staples like bread and milk. But as long as I can get Turkey Hill at my local grocery I won’t spend too much time worrying about Alaska.
Hot State Cold State would make no matter to my husband. He can eat ice cream any day any temp.
This looks like a good old-fashioned toy
Is it that it is easier to keep it cold there? Why would you want to get colder? Just another good reason to visit Alaska!
I think we Pennsylvanians are not slouches when it comes to eating turkey hill or any other ice cream for that matter. I wonder where we rank on that ice cream eating scale
Dear Turkey Hill, This looks like a 1950 wind up toy.. There was Good Humor truck and a Bungalow Bar truck in our neighborhood in those years!! Today, I am enjoyiing Turkey Hill ..especially Egg Nog which I finally found this week!!!and am glad you reserve it JUST for holidays keeping it really special..ummmmm.. Thanks for your goodness!!! Peggy
How odd – Alaska. Seems like our household alone should put PA over the top.
yes, i am just catching up on all the postings i have fallen behind on…ALASKA? Oh, right, I guess if Tina and I actually in the same state, that state would win the prize! haha!
I would never had thought Alaska, but I guess when you’re used to being cold, the ice cream doesn’t make you colder! My family eats ice cream all year round;that’s one thing I could never give up!
Love all the flavors I already tried. Looking forward to tasting some new ones. Keep up the great work.
Alaskans eat the most ice cream because they have unlimited ice and are often depressed.
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I’m an Alaskan, and I love ice cream. We don’t have this Turkey Hill up here, but we sure do love our ice cream. Maybe it has something to do with being used to the cold, because eating ice cream doesn’t make me cold. Also, in a lot of the villages and smaller towns, there isn’t much to do but eat, and what better to eat than ice cream…..and no, we don’t live in igloos
I think it’s because they are already so cold they don’t have to worry about getting brain freeze. Plus ice cream is better in the winter. You can enjoy the full flavor of it.
My first guess for state with most ice cream consumed per capita would have been Arizona. Summers in Arizona get extremely boiling hot! In fact, Phoenix has a normal July high of 102 degrees, and the temperature has even topped 120 before in Phoenix!
The reason Alaska consumes the most ice cream than any other state is simple…ice cream keeps us warm inside our body….ice cream consists a lot of calories…. calories keep you warm…
Hello! I just wish to say that Alaska is a very dry state in some parts (I know because I live there.) One of the reasons we eat ice cream so much is because ice cream is a very moist dessert so we gain back the moister and some calories to keep us warm. Another reason is that we can get the ice cream home easier than warmer states