And the #1 Condiment in America Is…

With all of the wings consumed during the Super Bowl yesterday it might seem like hot sauce is America’s most used condiment, but in the fresh light of Monday morning it’s apparent that America’s favorite condiment is… mayonnaise? That’s right, according to this survey on Quartz, mayonnaise beat ketchup for the number one spot with $2 billion in sales (which includes low-fat mayo) to ketchup’s $800 million, approximately. More mind-blowing than the fact that mayo beat out ketchup? The fact that the U.S. Market for condiments and sauces is $6 billion. Condiments are kind of like coffee creamers — people often keep them on hand, even if they don’t use them, in the event of guests. At this very moment I have all but one of the condiments listed on the chart in my fridge (sorry, steak sauce), but ketchup and soy sauce are the only two I use regularly, for my french fry and sushi addictions respectively. I recently threw out a mustard I’d never even opened and replaced it immediately; I couldn’t bare the thought of my guests condiment cravings going unmet. Oddly enough, I will wait until my ketchup is kaput before buying more. Touché, Quartz. Heinz made a solid play for the ketchup camp with their “If You’re Happy and You Know It” ad during the big game, which showcased people of all ages using the classic glass bottle in various Americana settings like football games and cookouts. Maybe I missed it, but I don’t think I saw an ad for mayonnaise. I guess when you have a lead bigger than the Seahawks had in the first half you don’t need to waste your marketing money on a Super Bowl ad. [Source]