Random Sheet

Anchovies Reign Supreme as America’s Most Hated Food

Written by Scott K. James

YouGov names anchovies, liver, and sardines America’s most hated foods—eggs hardly make the hate list. Survey of over 2,200 adults.

YouGov’s latest survey tallied the top ten most hated foods in America, based on responses from over 2,200 adults. Leading the culinary hate list: anchovies (56%), liver (54%), and sardines (52%), little fish and organs causing big emotions. Hot on their heels: tofu, squid, caviar, oysters, blue cheese, sushi, chitterlings, beets, and kale. Eggs? Barely an afterthought, only 6% said they hated them.

The Bullet Point Brief

  • Anchovies at the Top of the Hate Charts
    More than half of Americans say “absolutely no thanks” to these little salty fish. Even Caesar salad envy can’t save them.
  • Organ Meats & Seafood: Emotional Triggers
    Liver and sardines both land above 50% on the dislike meter. Chewy? Metallic? Guilt by association with squeaky clean organs – your guess is as good as mine.
  • Hipster Foods Are Hit or Miss
    Tofu (46%), kale (31%) and blue cheese (39%) made the blacklist. But gluten-free virtue signaling can’t save them from being taste divisive.
  • Texture and Smell Are Culture War Weapons
    Squid’s slimy texture, caviar’s briny punch, the funk of blue cheese—these aren’t foods; they’re personality statements you either get or hate.
  • Eggs Are the Great Unifier
    Only 6% hate them. Eggs might not be exciting, but they’re unifying. And frankly, America needs more unity than anchovy pizza toppings.

My Bottom Line

So here’s the dish: Americans have opinions on food as intense as political debates, but more digestible. People hate anchovies the way others hate slow drivers—united in annoyance. Liver and sardines? They’re the culinary close cousins of root canals with flavor profiles – non-existent.

But egg hate clocking in at just 6%? That’s not just a food trend, that’s national cohesion. Eggs are democracy on a breakfast plate. If even Popeye ate sardines, we’d be in trouble. But eggs? We can agree they’re edible.

If this survey reveals anything, it’s that taste chaos unites the nation more than kale, tofu, or those little fishies ever could. Here’s to anchovy-free pizza and a reminder: unity isn’t gravy, it’s eggs.

About the author

Scott K. James

A 4th generation Northern Colorado native, Scott K. James is a veteran broadcaster, professional communicator, and principled leader. Widely recognized for his thoughtful, common-sense approach to addressing issues that affect families, businesses, and communities, Scott, his wife, Julie, and son, Jack, call Johnstown, Colorado, home. A former mayor of Johnstown, James is a staunch defender of the Constitution and the rule of law, the free market, and the power of the individual. Scott has delighted in a lifetime of public service and continues that service as a Weld County Commissioner representing District 2.