Ranch dressing
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Ranch dressing is an American salad dressing and vegetable dip made of buttermilk or sour cream, mayonnaise, and minced green onion, along with other seasonings. The original popular brand in the U.S. is called Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, which is now owned by the Clorox Company.
Hidden Valley Ranch was a lively guest ranch resort near Santa Barbara, California, and it was there that ranch dressing was invented in the late 1950s by the owner, Steve Henson, who had developed it in Alaska. The original dressing is still available as a packet of dry herbs that is mixed with buttermilk (or sour cream) and bottled mayonnaise. Some people add fresh chopped cilantro as well as the usual scallions.
Usage
- In much of America, it is an extremely popular dipping sauce for things like french fries, chicken wings and other fried foods. This spread to other regions has been attributed to Denny's offering it as a choice with their meals for over two decades nationwide.
- Ranch is also commonly used as a dipping sauce for pizza. Thus, its presence has become commonplace at numerous pizza places; most major pizza chains such as Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza offer ranch dressing as a dipping sauce option.
- Ranch also has the effect of mayonnaise, if left out in heat (pantry)it will spoil and may cause food poisoning.
| Herbs, seasonings and spices | |
| Herbs | basil · bay leaf · borage · chives · coriander leaf (a.k.a. cilantro) · dill · marjoram · fennel · mint · oregano · parsley · rosemary · sage · savory · tarragon · thyme · |
| Seasonings | curry powder · lemon · liquorice · MSG · onion powder · saccharin · salt · stevia · sugar · vanilla · vinegar · |
| Spices | allspice · anise · cardamom · cayenne pepper · chile powder · cinnamon · clove · coriander seeds · cumin · fenugreek · garlic · ginger · nutmeg · paprika · pepper · saffron · sarsaparilla · sassafras · tamarind · turmeric · white mustard · |
External links
- [Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing history]
- [Planet Ranch]
- [Ranch Dressing - Why do Americans love it so much? (Slate.com)]
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