Answer: Apples

To say Americans have a love affair with the apple would be a bit of an understatement. Not only does the U.S. produce 4.1 million tons of apples per year (second only to China in apple production), but apples are grown in every single state (with 29 states actively raising apples as a commercial crop).

With that many states growing apples (let alone that many counting apples among their important commercial crops), it’s no surprise that seven states have some type of apple as their official state fruit (Illinois, Minnestota, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia). Further, the apple makes a double appearance on the official food lists of the state of New York and Vermont where, respectively, apple muffins are the official muffin and apple pie is the official pie.

Given the popularity of the fruit as well as the fact that it is the first fruit consumed by the majority of American children, it’s easy to see that the common phrase “as American as apple pie” is a perfect way to describe something as American in character.