Hawaii Ordered The Most McDonald's Filet-O-Fish In 2022
Who would've guessed that the state you live in can have such an impact on the foods you order? Much of the reason is explained by the food types each section of the country specializes in. In Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, Southern staples are the clear winner, while states on the West Coast, such as California and Washington, prefer Asian cuisines (via Richmond Pulse). States in the east have quite the range, as they frequently enjoy Spanish, Italian, and Caribbean cuisines.
Residents in different states have differing opinions on fast food, as well. According to World Population Review, much of the south prefers Chick-fil-A, and in the west, In-N-Out Burger reigns supreme. Both Sonic and Wendy's only have one state that favors them, Montana and Iowa, respectively. McDonald's is the favorite of 12 states, including Michigan, Alaska, and Indiana. Interestingly, one state didn't prefer the iconic chain: Hawaii. Why is that interesting? The Aloha State was the biggest fan of the Filet-O-Fish.
A quarter of the sandwiches are sold during Lent
Regardless of Hawaii's overall fast food preference, residents of the state have ordered more Filet-O-Fish this year than any other in the country (per McDonald's). Hawaii was also the state that ordered most through the app. According to Smithsonian Mag, 300 million of these sandwiches are sold yearly, which isn't even in the top 10 most popular items sold at McDonald's. Still, there's a good reason for the sandwich to stay on the menu, as 23% of Filet-O-Fish's sold occur during Lent. Interestingly enough, this is the reason why the Atlantic-Pollock creation was made in the first place.
Per Money, Lent is a period of 40 days that requires participating Christians to eliminate meat from their diets on Fridays. The decision to add the Filet-O-Fish to the permanent menu was made after it was favored over a pineapple and cheese sandwich, which also served as an alternative to beef and chicken. However, Hawaii's decision to order the Filet-O-Fish might be due to residents' seafood-loving nature. According to Hawaii Seafood, Hawaii eats more seafood per capita than the rest of the country.