Is there anything more relaxing than watching cooking shows at the end of a long day? Sure, we can never dream of actually replicating what we see Rachel Ray or Jamie Oliver cook, but man is it fun to watch.
Some people like curling up to zombie shows, crime dramas, or people injuring themselves on American Ninja Warriors. We just want to watch a perfectly made soufflé, okay?
Your favorite cooking show says a lot about you as a person, or in this case, as a state. Are you a Guy Fieri kind of state, or are you more of a Gordon Ramsay kind of state? We used Google Trends search data to identify each state’s favorite cooking show. Here are some of the most interesting takeaways.
Some people just want to watch the world cakes burn
Watching people bake beautiful delicacies is one thing, but watching people fail miserably can be so much more satisfying. Just ask the fine folks from Florida, Kansas, West Virginia, and North Dakota, who just want to see total failure.
Florida and Kansas love the cooking show Nailed It. And frankly, we don’t blame them. You know what, words can’t really do it justice—just look at the monstrosity attempted below.
In case you ever wanted to know what a melting unicorn looks like.
Kudos for trying to add a little Voldemort-nose flavor to this princess.
West Virginia and North Dakota, on the other hand, love Worst Cooks in America, which is as bad as it sounds.
No doubt there are many talented cooks in West Virginia and North Dakota, but it feels safe to assume there’s plenty of less-than-great cooks too. Why else would so many people need to watch such bad cooks to feel better about their own cooking?
People love Gordon Ramsay (for some reason)
A dark truth about human nature: it’s sort of fun to watch people get really mad. If Gordon Ramsay does anything well, it’s getting really, really mad. For a taste of the temper, here are a couple of our favorite Gordon Ramsay insults dished in the kitchen.
Do you think he carries two slices of bread in his pocket just so he can do this to people?
This is an insult only Gordon Ramsay could deliver with such precision. The pause is everything.
11 out of our 50 states (including California and New York) love Gordon Ramsay. You’re all a bunch of jerks who love watching an angry British man get mad at sad chefs.
Just kidding, we love it too. We come for the food but stay for the rage.
Only one state can claim true refinement
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Gordon Ramsay, you have The Great British Baking Show. There are no gimmicky challenges, dramatic sound effects, or angry judges. It’s just a group of British people that want to bake in a tent in the English countryside.
Out of the entire country, the only state that can claim The Great British Baking Show as its favorite cooking show is New Hampshire.
I’ve never been to New Hampshire, but it must be a delightful place full of delightful people. As opposed to those New Yorkers and Californians who just want to watch Gordon Ramsay yell at people.
We all love food
Whatever cooking shows you like to watch, you’ll receive (mostly) no judgment from us. Food is wonderful, and that’s something we can all agree on. Enjoy watching all that culinary magic unfold before your eyes.
Our methodology
Google knows everything, and that’s how we know what your state’s favorite cooking show is. We used Google Trends to see what the most commonly googled cooking show is for each state. Your Google search history speaks volumes about what cooking shows you treasure. What’s your favorite cooking show?
Want to make your case for what should be your state’s favorite cooking show? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.