Cheapism
Walking into a grocery store can be daunting because of the sheer number of brands available. Americans have a wealth of choices for practically every item, which makes choosing one tricky.
Some brands, though, have always stood out among the pack. Their grocery items have reached peak popularity — at least with their dedicated fanbase.
Next time you're debating between brands, pick up one of these products that have loyal, cult-like followings to see what the fuss is all about.
Leave it to Southerners to get territorial about their mayonnaise. Duke's is the gold standard in many parts of the country, and its popularity is spreading. Move over, Hellman's (and don't even put Miracle Whip in the same category!).
We all know someone who makes sriracha their entire personality. Huy Fong is the company that makes it (sometimes called Rooster Sauce because of the rooster on the bottle), and it's got a large and dedicated fanbase that reached cult status a long time ago.
If you grew up in the Northeast, chances are Tastykakes are the ultimate nostalgic treat. They make all kinds of little sweet snack cakes, and people love to argue over which are the best.
Orange Chicken has been Trader Joe's top seller for a long time now and with good reason. It's inexpensive, it's fast, it's frozen, and everyone loves it with rice and broccoli. Would TJ's even exist without Orange Chicken? Who knows.
Chinese chili crisp, a spicy and fragrant oil-based condiment, blew up in popularly in the last decade or so, and it's all because of Lao Gan Ma. It's also called "angry lady sauce" because of the picture of a stern-looking woman on the label, and it comes in about a million varieties in Asian supermarkets.
There's a very specific kind of person that loves the flavor of these extra-cooked and extra-browned Utz chips, and because they can't find them in any other brand, they're extremely loyal. Haters call this potato chip burnt, but taste is subjective.
Surge is a soda that is Coca-Cola's answer to Pepsi's rival Mountain Dew. It was marketed as a hardcore drink appealing to young people, but was discontinued in 2003.
Its fanbase was so vocal about the axing that Coke brought it back in 2015 in some markets.
You either love or hate Peeps, the marshmallow-y treats that are popular around Easter. Many fans swear that leaving them uncovered to "age" like fine wine helps improve them, and some people just make dioramas with them. Either way, some people are kind of obsessive about Peeps.
Zapp's potato chips are beloved, especially in Louisiana. The Voodoo flavor is tops, and people adore that sweet, tangy, and spicy taste that is like no other chip flavor. Word has spread, though, and people all over the country love these chips now.
The Girl Scouts who started cookie sales in 1917 had no idea that people would be so obsessed with the cookies a century later. When a new cookie debuts, there's all kinds of hype (Raspberry Rally, anyone?!), and some people buy enough to last them the full year before they can buy more.
It might just be the best fundraising idea in history.
Sure, plenty of people love Coke around the globe. But in the U.S., Mexican Coke is tops for a lot of people. It's made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup like in America, and it comes in glass bottles. People swear it tastes better than American-made Coke.
Who knew that a jarred pasta sauce could capture hearts, but Rao's has. Everyone from celebrity chefs to regular grandmas use it as a delicious shortcut to homemade red sauce, and it's totally worth the price, if you ask us.
Publix grocery stores in the Southern U.S. have deli counters that make amazing sandwiches that have become known as Pub Subs. They're made right in front of you with a massive amount of options, and they're probably the most famous product Publix sells — especially the chicken tender sub.
Extra virgin olive oil is pricey, but it's pretty much a kitchen staple if you do a lot of cooking. That's why people love Costco's Kirkland Signature version so much. It's inexpensive and high quality, not to mention organic. People go nuts over it.
People don't realize that LaCroix has been around since the 1980s, long before its renaissance as a trendy social media drink. That means that the sparkling water's cult following has a pretty big age range.
This is the gold standard of condiments, and many people could probably pick it out of a lineup in a blind taste test. We know some people who won't eat ketchup unless it's Heinz, and we're guessing there's tons of those people out there.
Kerrygold is an Irish butter that people in the U.S. swear by. It's not only great for baking things like cakes and cookies, but it just tastes amazing on bread or baked potatoes. Its cult followers will happily pay the premium price for this butter, so you know it must be good.
White Lily is the preferred flour of many Southern biscuit makers. People swear that it makes their biscuits more tender and delicate than other brands of all-purpose flour.
In the realm of health-conscious bread brands, Dave's Killer Bread is tops. It's got such a following that it's crossed over from many health food aisles to the regular bread aisle, which is quite a feat. Fans are fine paying more for this sliced bread.
There are some people who know the secret to getting movie theater-style popcorn at home: Flavacol. It's the commercial product that theater's use on their popcorn, and it's magic. People who use the powdery, butter-flavored salt swear they'll never make popcorn without it.
If you're eating seafood on the East Coast, you're probably eating it with Old Bay. The flavor has become synonymous with crabs especially, and many people have to have the seasoning if they're eating them.
Hot honey has exploded in popularity, and it's all because of Mike's Hot Honey. People put it on everything from fried chicken to pizza, and fans tend to be very brand loyal to this one.
The world of instant ramen is absolutely massive, but the one with all the buzz is Shin Black. The regular red pack of this brand is delicious, but the black one has an extra packet inside and a meatier flavor, and people are devoted to it.
You probably know Altoids as those incredibly strong mints that come in a metal tin, but they also used to make sour fruit hard candies. They had a cult-like following, and fans were pissed when they were discontinued in 2010. Luckily, it looks like the beloved candy is coming back.
Choco Tacos held a place in many people's hearts, but you might not have realized it until Klondike discontinued it in 2022. Then, tons of people lost their minds when they found out that nostalgic treat is gone. The company hinted that it might be coming back, but the cult is still waiting.
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