This is America’s favorite cheese

A recent TikTok video demonstrating how to make baked feta pasta went viral, garnering attention from media outlets including the Washington Post, Today and Good Morning America. The recipe, which can be traced back to Finland, became so popular within the US that retailers reported they were selling out of feta cheese. But does that mean feta is the most popular cheese in America? Not quite.

Data from a YouGov poll of over 8,000 US adults finds that America’s favorite cheese is a classic: cheddar. About one in five (19%) say this is their top pick, while 13% say their favorite is American cheese.

In third place is mozzarella, with 9%, followed by Swiss (8%). Pepper Jack and Colby Jack (sometimes called Monterey Jack) are tied, with 7% choosing each of these as their favorite cheese.

Rounding out the rest of the list is provolone (5%), blue cheese (4%), gouda (4%), parmesan (3%), brie (3%), feta (2%), goat (2%), Gruyère (2%), and muenster (2%). Ricotta gets the least amount of love, with just 1% saying this is their favorite cheese.

Across regions, cheddar is the most popular pick. American cheese tends to be more popular in the Northeast (18%) and the South (15%) than in the Midwest (10%) and West (8%).

Related: These are the most liked – and disliked – pizza toppings in America

Methodology: 8,815 US adults were surveyed between March 3 - 4, 2021. The responding sample is weighted to be representative of the US population.

Images: Getty