Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world as a day to honor love and connection.
Beyond flowers and heartfelt gestures, food plays a big part in how people enjoy this day together.
From chocolate treats to fancy meals, different parts of the world celebrate Valentine’s Day in their own unique ways.
This blog dives into food trends found in MyFitnessPal food log data, showing how people from different cultures celebrate love with food.
How We Collected the Data
Our Business Intelligence team at MyFitnessPal looked at food entries from January 2020 to today.
They focused on countries where February 14 is widely celebrated and compared food logs to regular daily entries.* This helped identify the foods that see the biggest spikes during Valentine’s celebrations.
Based on this data, here are the countries where we found noteworthy Valentine’s Day food trends.
What People Ate By Country
United States: Sweet Treats and Luxurious Dishes
Unsurprisingly, U.S. Valentine’s Day food logs showed a focus on indulgence.
Chocolate-covered strawberries stole the spotlight. These beloved treats saw an astounding 4,612% spike on February 14, making them a key feature of American Valentine’s celebrations.
Peanut butter hearts and brownie batter donuts followed, each seeing an increase of 2,400% in food logs.
But it wasn’t just sweets that saw a rise in consumption on Valentine’s Day.
Luxurious meals also ranked highly, particularly lobster tail dishes, which saw a surge of over 1,000% on February 14 compared to any other day.
This pricey shellfish is often considered a delicacy. It shows that Americans will indulge their loved ones on special occasions, like Valentine’s Day.
In the U.S., heart-shaped treats are still a classic symbol of love, with items like chocolate hearts and conversation hearts also climbing the ranks.
Canada: A Heart-Shaped Celebration
Canada’s Valentine’s Day trends mirror those of its southern neighbor. Chocolate-covered strawberries led entries with a 3,418% increase on the day of love according to our data.
Additionally, many Canadians celebrated February 14 with heart-shaped sweets—a timeless symbol of love and romance.
These treats are among the most logged Valentine’s Day indulgences in the country:
- Chocolate hearts (+3,250%)
- Cinnamon heart candies (+1,500%)
- Heart-shaped sugar cookies (+1,200%)
Lobster tails were also heavily featured. Logs for this shellfish increased over 1,000%, signifying Canadians’ shared appreciation for an upscale Valentine’s dinner.
United Kingdom: Luxurious Flavors and Inspired Indulgences
Across the pond, the U.K. also embraces the Valentine’s Day staple of chocolate-covered strawberries, with a 3,133% increase in logs.
But Brits also showed their love for savory indulgences, with potato Dauphinoise logging 2,675% more on Valentine’s Day.
Like potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes, potato Dauphinoise is a rich, comforting side dish. It is made with sliced potatoes, cheese, and cream.
This side is likely paired with Beef Wellington, which emerged as the top main dish, experiencing a 1,940% increase in food logs. Known for its rich, high-quality cut of beef, this dish is often reserved for special occasions.
Clearly, people in the U.K. also enjoy dining in luxury on Valentine’s Day.
Other notable trends according to our data included profiterole stacks, a tower of French pastries filled with cream and covered in chocolate sauce, and the tarte au citron, a tangy lemon tart.
These popular French and Italian desserts showcase the influence of other European cultures on Valentine’s Day celebrations in the U.K.
Ireland: Sweet and Health-Conscious Indulgences
In Ireland, Valentine’s Day indulgences took an interesting turn, blending classic romantic favorites with modern, health-conscious treats.
According to our data, a sweet carrot side dish stole the show, with a massive 2,550% increase in popularity on February 14.
Still, chocolate remained a top contender. Chocolate-covered treats surged 2,200%, including chocolate-covered strawberries, which saw an 1,800% increase in food logs.
Spicy hearts and chocolate truffles were also among the nation’s favorite romantic treats.
Surprisingly, protein-packed snacks had notable rises in popularity on Valentine’s Day, too.
Salted caramel protein yogurt, high-protein chocolate pudding with a topping, and a peach-orange high-protein yogurt drink rose sharply. This shows a shift toward healthier indulgences.
Australia: Modern Twist on a Traditional Favorite
Australia’s food logging trends around Valentine’s Day were not as pronounced as in some other countries, but a couple of treats stood out as celebratory.
The top indulgent food was hot cross buns, which are spiced sweet buns that originated in the U.K.
But this standout food had an Australian twist. These hot cross buns were filled with the caramelized flavor of Biscoff spread.
This modern take on traditional hot cross buns saw a big jump in popularity, with a 1133% spike in logs on February 14.
So, while Biscoff-filled hot cross buns are typically an Easter treat in Australia, they appear to have become a Valentine’s Day favorite as well.
Also, like in other countries, chocolate-covered strawberries were a popular Valentine’s treat in Australia. Consumption on this day surged by 967%, adding a fresh touch to their romantic celebrations.
South Africa: Indulgent Marshmallow Treats
In South Africa, marshmallow treats seem to be integral to Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Marshmallow pies took the spotlight with a 1,586% surge according to our data, making them the top logged indulgence of the day.
Other favorites that logged a 1,000% or more increase included mallow-filled chocolate hearts and Sweetie or Cutie Pies. These “pies” are iconic desserts made of wafer, marshmallow, and chocolate.
South Africans also embraced classic Valentine’s Day treats. These include chocolate-covered strawberries (+1,500%) and red velvet cupcakes (+824%).
Italy: Rich Chocolates and Deep Fried Delights
In Italy, the mugcake dominated Valentine’s Day celebrations. Food logs for this single-serving dessert showed an astounding 4,200% increase on this day.
Carnival-inspired deep-fried treats were another highlight, combining festive traditions with romantic celebrations.
These crispy confections were among the most popular indulgences:
- Fried chiacchiere (fried pastry strips) (+1,467%)
- Castagnole (fried dough balls) (+1,279%)
- Frappe di Carnevale (fried pastry ribbons) (+1,200%)
Classic Italian favorites also held their place. On Valentine’s Day, sanguinaccio (sweet blood chocolate pudding) was up 1,350% and Baci Perugina Fondentissimo (dark chocolate kisses) rose 1,200%.
Chocolate appears to remain a symbol of love in Italy, along with fried pastries and rich desserts.
Other Notable Countries (A-Z)
- Algeria: Chocolate crème brûlée (3800%)
- American Samoa: Iced apple cake (23,200%)
- Argentina: Red velvet (1167%)
- Austria: Fine hearts (1,833%), I love Milka pralines (1,400%), Macarons (1,300%), I love Milka pralines strawberry cream (1,200%)
- Bulgaria: Fine heart chocolate (3,450%), Herb-cooked ham (2,050%), Ferrero Rocher balls (1,667%), Scitec chocolate peanut (1,500%)
- Denmark: Fastelavn bun (pastry cream filled with cardamom) (2,350%), Praline nougat hearts (1,443%)
- Indonesia: Light cheesecake (1,250%)
- Malaysia: German cookies (1,050%), Luxury chocolate cake (1,050%)
- Netherlands: Hazelnut creme pralines (1,600%), Nonnevot (doughnut in the shape of a bow) (950%)
- New Zealand: Raffaello (coconut-almond truffle) (925%), Choc cross bun block (900%), Caramel squares (880%)
- Norway: Shrovetide bun (jam-filled bun with whipped cream) (6,867%), Semla (Swedish cream bun) (4,900%), Rum cake (1,657%), Whipped cream, (1,191%), Menuett marzipan cake (1,150%)
- Pakistan: Chocolate covered sweets (4,900%)
- Peru: Chardonnay wine (2,750%), Marshmallow (2,750%)
- Philippines: Toblerone (chocolate) (1,750%)
- Poland: Lindor truffle box or bag (4,900%), Wild boar (3,773%), Belgian chocolate sea shells (2,350%), Salted caramel cake (1,540%)
- Portugal: Malassadas (Portuguese doughnuts) (1,414%), I love Milka pralines (1,150%), Dark chocolate rings (1,150%)
- Spain: Cod (3,600%), White chocolate wafer bar (Bueno White) (3,100%), Carnival ears (fried pastries) (1,600%)
- Sweden: Golden jelly hearts (10,150%), Lindor irresistibly smooth milk (7,750%), Red jelly hearts (7,600%), Noblesse hearts (4,050%)
- Switzerland: Pisco sour (2,233%), Chocolate heart (1,950%), Lindor milk balls (1,150%)
- Thailand: Mint chocolate (2,550%)
- Turkey: Chocolate-covered strawberries (3,750%), Chocolate pretzels (1,250%), Chocolate chip mini-cookies (1,250%)
Food: A Universal Language of Love
Chocolate-covered strawberries and luxurious dinners may be popular worldwide, but Valentine’s Day food traditions are as diverse as the cultures that celebrate them.
From Canada’s heart-shaped confections to Italy’s deep-fried desserts or the U.K.’s fine dining fare, every country brings its unique flavor to the table.
These traditions reflect each culture’s unique identity, which is shaped by lifestyle preferences and ever-changing global food trends.
One thing is clear across cultures and countries: On Valentine’s Day, food is a universal language of love and connection, whether you prefer elegant indulgences or simple heartfelt expressions.
Curious about what your Valentine’s Day food logs reveal about you? Start exploring and tracking through the MyFitnessPal app today.
*Note: Brazil does not celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14; countries including India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, France, Chile, Belgium, Romania, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Morocco, Vietnam, and Hong Kong do not appear to eat differently on February 14; countries including Russia, China, Egypt, Japan, Taiwan, Israel, Ukraine, and Greece logged in their respective languages and were not translated for this article.
The post What People Eat Around the World on Valentine’s Day appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.
