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When did Ranch dressing take over the world?


heidih

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Based on a number of posts in this topicon odd pizza eating habits like dipping generic pizza into Ranch dressing, I thought I would pose the question: "Hwo and when did Ranch dressing become so popular? I eat lunch frequently with a woman who always requests it on the side so she can dip her grilled cheese sandwich and her fries into it. I have witnessed it take over the wing dip world as opposed to blue cheese. What have you observed?

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I have observed that I like to pour a bit of the "lite" Ranch Dressing onto my baked potato as a low-fat alternative to sour cream.

Other than that, find it just "okay."

But it's sure ubiquitous these days, isn't it?

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Our local Mexican restaurant offers it for those who can't/won't eat salsa with their chips.

I don't think they like doing it because of the way they plop the bottle on the table. Almost as

though they want to shame the customer by calling attention to the stuff.

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Green Goddess was the most popular salad dressing for a while, it was supplanted by creamy Italian in the 70's. Ranch had been around as the dry mix since the 1950's, but didn't really start to conquer the world until Hidden Valley, a Chlorox subsidiary, developed a shelf-stable ready-made bottled version in the early 80's.

What also contributed to its rise was, ironically, the proliferation of low-fat foods. Mayonnaise became a bad word in the 80's and 90's so a lot of places selling processed foods subbed Ranch for mayo to seem healthier. (which is ironic because Ranch is made with mayo)

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Jeff Foxworthy did a bit quite a few years ago on "the cleaning power of ranch dressing"....smear ranch dressing on item to be cleaned, and 1,000 people will magically show up and lick your car/boat/house clean.

I heard a very crude version of a similar joke. Apparently it's currently making the rounds of restaurant kitchens.

I try not to think of it, but it sure goes to the obsession for ranch dressing among some folk. Stunning, really.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Ranch Dressing : Why do Americans love it so much?

This paragraph from the article pretty much tells the tale:

Once ranch was available in a bottle, Americans fell in love with its rich-yet-inoffensive taste. It is devoid of potentially objectionable ingredients, such as chili sauce (a key component in Thousand Island) or anchovies (found in Caesar and Green Goddess). And perhaps more important, ranch is fattier than humdrum Italian, which is basically a gussied-up vinaigrette. Ranch dressing, which arrived at a time when mayo had gained a reputation as a diet-buster, was essentially a socially acceptable form of the gloopy condiment. It quickly became the preferred way to infuse otherwise healthy dishes with a palatable amount of fat. The salads offered by chains such as Little Caesars or McDonald's were soon accompanied by packets of ranch, to the chagrin of nutritionists.
Edited by slkinsey (log)

--

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For reference, Joy of Cooking's ingredients for Ranch Dressing are:

1 clove garlic

3/4 cup buttermilk

2-3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon minced cilantro or parsley

1 tablespoon minced chives

salt and pepper

Interestingly (to me), they list mayonnaise as an optional addition to make a "less runny" dressing.

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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I don't know about taking over the world but it has pretty much taken over Canada and the U.S. I'm not a fan, I'll stick with some variation of blue cheese if I'm going to use a creamy dressing/dip. I just don't find it all that tasty, it doesn't offend me or anything... but Creamy Caesar kinda does.

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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I miss Green Goddess.

You can get it on Amazon.com search Kraft Green Goddess

or it is very easy to make at home. check out the recipe section

Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

Take Big Bites

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I don't know what Ranch dressing is, or at least I didn't until that pizza thread, and speaking as an innocent bystander, it all seems very bizarre. Of course, I don't like mayo and I can't understand its ubiquity either, so I assume this is something along the same lines?

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I don't know what Ranch dressing is, or at least I didn't until that pizza thread, and speaking as an innocent bystander, it all seems very bizarre. Of course, I don't like mayo and I can't understand its ubiquity either, so I assume this is something along the same lines?

Although, I suspect like most folks, a plain vinaigrette is my favorite dressing, my second-favorite has always been bleu cheese - Stilton, preferably, or Roquefort, or whatever. I know many people like that cool, creamy topping on their greens, but are put off by the strong bleu cheese taste. To me, anyway, Ranch is an easier version. Creamy, with some pretty typical "salad dressing" herbs and spices, but not that strong cheese flavor.

When it first came out, you bought a small packet of dry mix, took it home, and mixed it up with mayo and buttermilk (as I recall, anyway). It had a nice tang to it and became moderately popular, not only for salad dressings, but also for dips. Then the company that made it, Hidden Valley, began selling it in bottles, already prepared. And it was on its way to superstardom. Now it seems like you can buy pretty much anything in "ranch flavor." There are a great many recipes online for homemade versions so if you're really curious, you could whip up a batch. Most include mayo, sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, garlic & onion powder, salt and pepper.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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I don't know what Ranch dressing is, or at least I didn't until that pizza thread, and speaking as an innocent bystander, it all seems very bizarre. Of course, I don't like mayo and I can't understand its ubiquity either, so I assume this is something along the same lines?

I'd say the fundamental flavors of "Ranch"-whatever (including actual Ranch dressing) are buttermilk, garlic, and herbs (typically parsley and chives).

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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I don't know what Ranch dressing is, or at least I didn't until that pizza thread, and speaking as an innocent bystander, it all seems very bizarre. Of course, I don't like mayo and I can't understand its ubiquity either, so I assume this is something along the same lines?

I'd say the fundamental flavors of "Ranch"-whatever (including actual Ranch dressing) are buttermilk, garlic, and herbs (typically parsley and chives).

I'd agree that it started out with buttermilk but it seems that even that was too strong a flavor for some folks. Now, it seems that few versions have it.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Hidden Valley does. Ingredients are basically mayo, buttermilk, spices.

ETA-- HV Ranch ingredients list:

Soybean oil, water, egg yolk, sugar, salt, cultured nonfat buttermilk, natural flavors, spices, less than 1% of: dried garlic, dried onion, vinegar, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, artificial flavors, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Thank you all, I'm learning!

HV Ranch ingredients list:

Soybean oil, water, egg yolk, sugar, salt, cultured nonfat buttermilk, natural flavors, spices, less than 1% of: dried garlic, dried onion, vinegar, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, artificial flavors, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate

Mmm Mmm MMMMMmmmm. :hmmm:

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Hidden Valley does. Ingredients are basically mayo, buttermilk, spices.

ETA-- HV Ranch ingredients list:

Soybean oil, water, egg yolk, sugar, salt, cultured nonfat buttermilk, natural flavors, spices, less than 1% of: dried garlic, dried onion, vinegar, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, artificial flavors, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate

Well, good. I can see why you will accept no other!

:biggrin:

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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