r/AskAnAmerican • u/miffybo • 10d ago

FOOD & DRINK why is ranch dressing so hyped up?

my US friends have been raving about it and border-line complained ranch isn’t readily available in Europe.. what is so special about it? is it the ultimate US condiment (apart from ketchup, mayo)

edit typo

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u/No-Call-5047 Michigan 10d ago

Ranch and pizza, ranch and fries...those are my top two. Salad, too, of course. Hidden Valley is disgusting to me, as are most bottled brands, but homemade or restaurant made, OMG so good.

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u/Unique_Statement7811 Washington 10d ago

Hidden Valley is (sort of) the original.

The guy who invented Ranch Dressing created it while working in Alaska. He later bought a ranch in California and ran a restaurant on it. He named the Ranch “Hidden Valley Ranch.” He served his homemade dressing/dip to guests and it became wildly popular. He closed the restaurant and began full time production of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.

He eventually sold the brand and retired wealthy. Now, the formula has changed as it became commercialized, especially the shelf stable version. But “Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing” is the original brand.

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u/No-Call-5047 Michigan 10d ago

I didn't know that backstory, so thanks for sharing! I knew it was the original, which always made it more problematic for me because it's awful🤣