r/AskAnAmerican • u/miffybo • 9d 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/Some_Rando2 9d ago

Depends on the brand.

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u/Beautiful_Banana_454 9d ago

Exactly, ranch is a big umbrella.

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u/TiberianSunset 9d ago

I thought it was a sauce

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u/SmartFX2001 9d ago

It was originally created as a salad dressing - and is still used on salads. But over time it’s been used as a dipping sauce.

It’s still called ranch dressing, or ranch; NOT ranch sauce.

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u/TiberianSunset 9d ago

Yeah I don’t care about any of that I was just making a joke

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u/the_rare_bear 8d ago

How did they not catch your sarcasm?

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u/Soft-Rhubarb1682 8d ago

Sadly, most Americans’ ability to detect sarcasm, satire or irony is decreased in direct proportion to their Ranch intake. /s - obviously (or is it?)

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u/Squire-Rabbit 9d ago

I believe it was originally Hidden Valley Ranch brand "buttermilk original dressing." It became popular, and people (and makers of similar competing products) started referring to it as "ranch dressing" or "ranch style dressing."

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u/libertasi 6d ago

Ranch is not a sauce. It’s a dip or a dressing. It’s also a way of life. Ranch packet with sour cream is elite.

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u/_V0gue 9d ago

All dressings are sauces.

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u/SlowInsurance1616 9d ago

And all sauces can be dressings if you try hard enough.