States With Best & Worst Cooks – Louisiana And Texas Rankings

A recent survey done by Coventry Direct sought to determine what states across the U.S. had the best and worst cooks. The results are pretty astonishing! Now, before you shoot the messager, let me say I think they got it wrong as far as Louisiana and Texas rankings go.

I know I'm a bit biased, but Louisiana is known worldwide for its iconic and authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine, not to mention its Po'boys, beignets, and seafood. So, of course, I think we should have come in at #1! As a matter of fact, Tripadvisor named New Orleans No. 1 for the best domestic, food-focused travel destination, AGAIN. To be clear, New Orleans doesn't have the best food in the state. It's just the best-known city in the state and has excellent food.

Our neighbor and next of kin, Texas, is known worldwide for having the best barbeque brisket on the planet They're also home to the iconic chicken fried steak, pecan pie, Tex-Mex, and best chili ever! So, they should've ranked in the top 10 at the very least.

Now that I've aired my grievances, here's how Coventry Direct determined the stats for the 2024 survey—States With The Best And Worst Cooks. They surveyed more than 2,200 people from 44 states, asking questions about their cooking ability, confidence, and habits to gauge their cooking skills. The survey was conducted in March and took roughly two weeks. The “cooking score” (below on the map) is based on respondents’ answers to the following ten questions:

How would you rate your cooking ability?
How often do you burn the food you’re trying to prepare?
Have you ever set your smoke alarm off when cooking?
How often do you cook meals at home?
When making dinner, how often do you use a recipe?
How comfortable are you cooking cuisines from different cultures?
Which of the following cooking techniques are you comfortable performing?
How much variety in spices do you typically use when cooking?
How well-equipped is your kitchen for cooking
How confident are you in cooking a delicious meal without a recipe?

So, what do you think? Did they get it right? Let us know in the comments! We are eager to know your thoughts. Shouts out to Kalina for sharing the details of this survey with me.