America’s Favorite Jelly Bean Flavors
4 min reading time
If your Easter baskets each year look like most, they probably always include some jelly beans. And this year, National Jelly Bean Day happened to be the very next day! So after just celebrating both holidays with lots of our Jelly Belly bites, we got to thinking about what types of jelly bean flavors people like the most. With over 200 flavors out there, we did some research on America’s favorite jelly bean flavors so you could have the answers.
But first, some fun facts about the beloved jelly bean:
- Jelly beans were the first confection to be sold by weight.
- 16 million jelly beans are produced every year for Easter.
- Jelly beans started as a Christmas candy until the early 1930s
- It takes 7-14 days to make a single Jelly Belly Jelly Bean.
- In the last year alone, enough Jelly Belly beans were eaten to circle the earth more than 5 times.
- Very Cherry remained the most popular Jelly Belly flavor for 2 decades until 1998 and then reclaimed the title again in 2003 by a mere 8 million beans.
Top Jelly Bean Rankings
With almost 330 million Americans living and eating in the US, there are a lot of taste buds to account for. It also makes it impossible to get us all to agree on anything, but one thing is for sure; we love jelly beans. Check out the Top 10 national jelly bean rankings and see if you agree.
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Buttered Popcorn
Buttered popcorn isn’t new to #1, but it did dethrone black licorice from last year to be on top for 2019. There are definitely some strong opinions on this salty, butter bean, but the “ayes” have it, and Buttered Popcorn is king this year. -
Cinnamon
There’s been a trend of spicy candy sweeping the nation, and it’s helped Cinnamon move up a spot from the #3 position. Its fiery sizzle gives taste buds a different type of candy experience that people crave. -
Black Licorice
Another down year for New Jersey’s favorite: Black Licorice. While this flavor typically sparks a lot of debate between candy lovers, it actually held the #1 spot in 2016 and 2017, before falling to #2 last year. Now, its losing streak continues, dropping another place to 3rd. But interestingly enough, its bronze-earning position helps prevent a single sweet flavor from making the Top 3. -
Cherry
Cherry has spent its fair share of time at #1 early on (over 20 years, remember). And while it’s not even in the Top 3 this year, it has moved up from #5 last year, which is extra impressive due to the longevity of this flavor. New food trends come and go, but Cherry is hanging in strong. -
Watermelon
Despite falling from #4, Watermelon remains a popular flavor from coast to coast. Even the islands can’t resist. Just ask Hawaii, who says it’s #1 in their eyes! -
Juicy Pear
Juicy Pear is like a new twist on a classic flavor. But in just a short time, it’s gained a lot of momentum! Floridians now call it their favorite, as well as Vermont, Washington, and New Hampshire. -
Toasted Marshmallow
There’s something about the tummy-warming flavor of Toasted Marshmallow that helped it move up 2 spots to #7 this year. While no state calls this flavor it's favorite, its creamy and slightly savory taste is a great balance to all the countless fruity flavors in a Jelly Belly bag. -
Orange
Speaking of fruity, Orange lost its #7 spot to Toasted Marshmallow this year, but it’s remained a frequent flyer in the Top 10 for many years. It also stole the hearts of Idahoans. -
Strawberry
After rising two spots this year, Strawberry is officially a Top 10 jelly bean! It’s hard to find anything bad to say about this classic flavor. -
Green Apple
Green Apple just barely makes the Top 10 after dropping 2 spots from last year. But with all of our ever-changing food preferences, this old school flavor should still be proud of its #10 spot.
Surprised by any of these chart toppers? Even if your favorite didn’t make the list, that simply means more for you! To load up on all of the jelly bean flavors you could possibly want, Royal Wholesale always has you covered.
Sources:
http://mentalfloss.com/article/534837/most-popular-jelly-bean-flavors-america-state-state
https://www.thedailymeal.com/holidays/buttered-popcorn-jelly-beans-most-popular/041519