Google Year In Search: These are the foods we most craved in 2020

From bread to Ikea’s meatballs, the search engine giant has released its list of our most wanted food items this year

According to Google searches, the UK has baked a lot of loaves this year (Getty Images)

Google has released its most searched phrases, questions and words for 2020, and this year it has whole categories dedicated to recipes, deliveries and DIY.

The UK’s "Year In Search” shows as a nation we have occupied ourselves during the health crisis with bread baking and creativity.

While it’s no surprise the UK public searched “coronavirus” more than any other term this year, it is astonishing that the second most asked question was “where does vanilla flavouring come from?”.

Food-related topics appear in many of the latest top trend lists. The “how to” questions, for example, were vastly different from those in 2019 and this year focused on do-it-yourself projects. Searches ranged from “how to make bread” in third place to “how to cut your own hair?” in fifth place, and a bizarre entry “how to cook eel?” came in sixth on the list.

Our favourite recipe search was “bread”, followed by the famous beef stew braised in red wine dish “beef bourguignon” and then “school cake recipe”, presumably people were searching for a simple sponge cake with white icing.

Three branded dishes featured on the list of most search recipes, including “KFC" chicken, “Wagamama katsu curry” and “Ikea meatball recipe”, offering an intriguing look into the comfort dishes the nation was missing during the pandemic.

Our delivery searches revealed what food and drink items arrived on our doorsteps. In first place was a very British search: “afternoon tea delivery”, followed by “wine delivery”.

“Compost delivery” was also on the delivery list. Gardening became a popular pastime during the pandemic, with “DIY gardens” also featuring in the “DIY” related-search list, plus “DIY decking”.

“DIY face mask” was unsurprisingly top of the DIY list.

In 2019, the most googled searches in the UK looked very different. At the top of the list was “Rugby World Cup”, followed by “Cricket World Cup”. For “how to” questions last year “how to watch the Champion’s League?” was most searched, followed by “how to watch Game of Thrones?”

Top searched recipes on Google in 2020

Bread recipe

Beef bourguignon recipe

School cake recipe

KFC recipe

White bread recipe

American pancakes recipe

Wagamama katsu curry recipe

Sourdough starter recipe

IKEA meatball recipe

Soda bread recipe

Top delivery searches on Google in 2020

Afternoon tea delivery

Wine delivery

Compost delivery

Milk delivery

Fruit and veg delivery

Paint delivery

Supermarket delivery

Birthday cake delivery

Garden centre delivery

Meat delivery

Top how to searches on Google in 2020

How to make a face mask?

How to make hand sanitizer?

How to make bread?

How to get tested for coronavirus?

How to cut your own hair?

How to cook eel?

How to cut men's hair?

How to boost immune system?

How to self isolate?

How to treat coronavirus?

Top DIY searches on Google in 2020

DIY face mask

DIY hand sanitizer

DIY click and collect

DIY shops

DIY garden ideas

DIY Mud kitchen

DIY diamond painting

DIY haircut

DIY decking

Top question searches on Google in 2020

Who won the election?

Where does vanilla flavouring come from?

How many cases of coronavirus in UK?

What is VE day?

How did coronavirus start?

When will lockdown end?

How to make a face mask?

How to make hand sanitizer?

How many people have died from coronavirus?

What time is Boris Johnson's speech today?