This Map Shows What New Yorkers Eat At 2 A.M.

NEW YORK, NY — Many New Yorkers whip out their phones at restaurants to share their meal with Instagram. While other diners might find that obnoxious, one tech company used posts from the photo-sharing app to map exactly what New York City is eating – and sharing – at any point in the day.

Crimson Hexagon, which describes itself as an "AI-powered consumer insights platform," identified the city's most popular foods on Instagram based on posts with associated hashtags from May 6 to 12.

With the posts, the firm created an interactive map showing a snapshot of the city's diet over a 24 hour period. So if you've ever wolfed down a slice of pizza at 2 a.m. and wondered if you were eating alone, you can not confirm you most certainly were not.

"Whether or not it’s socially acceptable to Instagram food is a hotly debated and highly divisive topic, but this doesn’t seem to have stopped both NYC residents and tourists visiting the city from getting snap-happy with their meals morning, noon and night," said Lou Jordano, Crimson Hexagon's chief marketing officer.

Seafood is New York's most popular food on Instagram despite the city's fame for pizza and bagels, the company found. Some fishy dishes shown on the map include a lobster roll, a salmon and cream cheese bagel and oysters at Central Park's famed Tavern on the Green.

New Yorkers seem to like sushi, chicken, pasta and burritos for dinner, as Crimson Hexagon says 8 p.m. is the most popular time for photos of those foods. And the city's night owls apparently enjoy a slurpable late-night snack — 10 p.m. is the most popular time for noodles, the company says.

When it comes to beverages, New Yorkers would be unlikely to turn down a cocktail – Crimson Hexagon says alcohol is the city's most popular drink on Instagram. Coffee ranks No. 1 in the morning but second overall, as the city's drinkers move to boozy libations from 2 p.m. to midnight, the company says.

The map may not be a perfect representation of the city's eating habits. Some Instagram posts tagged as one thing actually picture something else — one "coffee" post, for instance, ironically shows a cocktail.

But most pins on the map are true to form, giving New Yorkers an idea of what their neighbors are eating and when.

The city's large amount of Instagram food porn isn't surprising given its popularity as a culinary destination and its "diverse array of cuisines and dining options," Jordano said.

"This foodie culture is showing no signs of slowing down, and with many smartphone cameras now offering specific food photography settings, we’d expect to see pictures of food continuing to dominate Instagram feeds," Jordano said in the release.

Check out Crimson Hexagon's map below, or on the company's website.

(Lead image: Crimson Hexagon created a map of New York City's most popular foods on Instagram. Image courtesy of Crimson Hexagon)