This State Uses The Most Hot Sauce, According To Instacart

It's no secret that Americans love spicy food. According to KRMG, New Mexicans self-identified as the most spice-tolerant population in America, with Louisiana and Texas close behind. Meanwhile, a poll sponsored by Tums found that respondents believed that Louisiana had the spiciest food around, followed by Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona. Respondents could also state their favorite spicy food, and tacos, salsa, and Buffalo hot wings topped the list.

While these participants narrowed down the South and Southwest as the spiciest regions around, some data from several years ago begs to differ. Thrillist reports that a 2014 study found that Charlotte, North Carolina ordered the spiciest food around, followed by Atlanta, Austin, and Dallas. Some cities across Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York even made the list, bucking the stereotype that only certain parts of the country can handle spice. While these areas love their share of hot food, one portion of the U.S. uses the most hot sauce, and it definitely isn't an area that immediately springs to mind.

According to Instacart, North Dakota consumes the most amount of hot sauce, averaging 5.4 ounces per consumer. New Mexico ranks second at 4.4 ounces per person, and Colorado ranks third, coming in at 4.0 ounces of hot sauce per person. These regions have a considerable lead over most of the country, as many states barely break the 2.0-ounce mark. Hawaii, Iowa, and Arkansas rank as the states that eat the least amount of hot sauce, with each person respectively consuming 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 ounces of hot sauce in each state.

The Instacart study also uncovered the preferred hot sauce in each state. Most of the Northeast loves Frank's Red Hot, while the Carolinas loves Texas Pete. Louisiana prefers Original Louisiana, and New Mexico leans towards Bueno. 

On the whole, America prefers Huy Fong Sriracha, but North Dakota bucks all the trends and loves Village Hot Sauce the most. While the country mostly loves either Sriracha or Frank's Red Hot, Cholula, Burman's, and Tapatio also made a significant mark. While you might not find a state as spicy as New Mexico or a town that loves heat like Charleston, you can make a bet that the average North Dakotan doesn't hold back when it comes to dousing their food with hot sauce.