38% Agree This Is The Best Brand Of Dinner Rolls For Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a holiday that 85% of Americans celebrate every year to give thanks and ring in the holiday season, according to YouGov. No matter where or how you celebrate, everyone's Thanksgiving dinner looks a little bit different. Maybe you have the traditional roast turkey or maybe you opt for a trendy turkey alternative, like salmon, duck, or even tofurkey. Maybe you make homemade herbed stuffing, whipped mashed potatoes with gravy, tangy cranberry sauce, and an endless spread of desserts, from pumpkin pie to gingerbread cookies. ... Or maybe you opt to outsource the kitchen work and spend your day watching football and visiting family.
But, if dinner rolls are on your menu — which they are for nearly 25% of households (according to another holiday YouGov report) — then you're likely already dreaming of the doughy deliciousness dripping with melted butter. But which brand of rolls is best? Mashed decided to poll readers to find out, asking 607 people across the United States to name their pick in order to determine America's favorite brand of rolls for Thanksgiving. Here's which beloved brand won over more than ⅓ of survey respondents and will likely end up at many Thanksgiving feasts this year.
People love King's Hawaiian rolls for Thanksgiving
When you ask Grandma to pass the rolls, which type are you hoping to find in the bread basket? According to Mashed's poll results, King's Hawaiian is by far the preferred roll for Thanksgiving dinner in the United States with 38.22% of people choosing it as their top pick over other popular brands. The company is known for its original Hawaiian sweet rolls, which are soft and chewy and have just a hint of sweetness (via King's Hawaiian). Available in packs of 12, the pull-apart rolls that can be enjoyed cold or warmed up. And you can even snag King's Hawaiian rolls in Honey Wheat, Jalapeño, or Savory Butter flavors if you're looking for something a little different.
As for how the other brands compared in the poll, Pillsbury — known for its fluffy biscuits and airy crescent rolls — took 2nd place, earning 23.56% of the vote. Pepperidge Farm came in 3rd with 15.16% of the vote, followed closely by Sister Schubert's with 14.17%. Finally, Martin's and Rhodes were neck-in-neck for the last place with just 4.78% and 4.12% of respondents respectively dubbing those brands their favorite.
What's the appeal of King's Hawaiian rolls?
Over 38% of respondents love King's Hawaiian rolls and the popularity doesn't come lightly. Reader's Digest explains that many love the side item thanks to the signature sweetness that stems back to the ingredients consisting of milk, sugar, yeast, flour, and occasionally pineapple juice. Others rep the rolls due to their consistency and texture. The "flakey outside and fluffy interior" make for a standout bread, explains the outlet.
Some also love the item for the memories associated with it, especially those living in the South. According to Southern Living, the sweet bread often makes appearances at church gatherings, funerals, and everything in between. (The Southern Living writer even shared the memory of their church swapping out traditional communion wafers for pieces of King's Hawaiian rolls.) The outlet goes on to explain that this ubiquity gives many nostalgic feelings about the product, which has been known to win over even the "smallest, pickiest eaters."
How King's Hawaiian built a bread empire
While many might assume that the iconic King's Hawaiian roll traces its origin back to the Pacific Islands, the type of sweet bread originated in Portugal and travelled to Hawaii in the 19th century alongside Portuguese immigrants who came to work on "livestock ranches and sugarcane plantations," per Cook's Country. These same workers started making sweet rolls with honey or pineapple juice when they couldn't get their hands on enough sugar. Eventually, founder Robert Taira took notice and started the bakery that morphed into King's Hawaiian. When the business first opened in the late '50s, this niche bakery struck a chord with visitors who brought back the sweet loaves as souvenirs.
According to King's Hawaiian, the bakery moved its production center to California in 1977 and eventually took the U.S. by storm. In 2010, the brand opened a facility in Oakwood, Georgia, allowing it to expand fully to the East Coast and turn into a household name nationwide. In a relatively short time frame, the startup bakery managed to win over the taste buds of America and now ranks as the most popular roll for Thanksgiving among Mashed readers.