Survey Shows Almost 32% Of People Prefer This Condiment

Americans are not alone in their love of condiments. People around the globe have been seeking out items to enhance the flavor of their food since the dawn of recorded history. Let us not forget, as Delishably notes, that Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb contained, among other eternal accompaniments, mustard seeds.

It's fair to say, however, that Americans have taken the love of condiments to another level. That seems clear when 97% of the population, per What It Means to Be American, has ketchup cached in their refrigerators. Ketchup has long been seen as the most singularly "American" condiment, which is why it was so surprising when People reported in 2020 that mayonnaise was out-selling ketchup by over a billion dollars per year.

So what's the most popular condiment in 2022? We surveyed our Tasting Table readers to find out, polling 626 people on their favorite condiment to add to food. The most surprising result wasn't that ketchup came in first, as the favorite of 31.63% (198 votes) of our respondents, but that mayo wasn't even second. No, that honor went to hot sauce, which gained runner-up status with a very strong showing (19.97%, or 125 votes).

If you think mayo coming in third in our poll is surprising, wait until we tell you that mustard came in last. Yep, that's right. Of the five options we gave to those being polled, mustard was the least favorite, garnering just 14.22% (89 votes). This wasn't just surprising, but downright shocking. If everyone's favorite mummy hadn't been excavated from his tomb back in 1922 (per National Geographic), he'd probably be turning over in it right now. Then again, maybe this result isn't due to popularity alone, but also the decreasing mustard seed yields in France and Canada that are now contributing to higher prices for mustard on American supermarket shelves.

Mayonnaise, by contrast, received 19.81% of votes (124 of 626) in our poll, while ranch finished in fourth place with 14.38% (90 votes), narrowly edging out mustard. Ranch is no longer being pigeon-holed solely as a salad dressing, The Spruce Eats notes (and our survey confirms), emerging as a popular chip dip, sandwich spread, and condiment topping on comfort foods like chicken wings.