- Ranch dressing
Ranch dressing is a
condiment made ofbuttermilk orsour cream ,mayonnaise , mincedgreen onion ,garlic powder, and other seasonings mixed into a sauce. Ranch dressing is one of the two most popular styles ofsalad dressing in theUnited States , together withItalian dressing [Slate magazine [http://www.slate.com/id/2123991/ Ranch Dressing. Why do Americans love it so much?] - August 5, 2005] . It is also popular as adipping sauce .History
In 1954, Steve and Gayle Henson opened a
dude ranch nearSanta Barbara, California , and named it "Hidden Valley Ranch". As a side business, they sold to guests a special dressing that Steve had developed inAlaska . The dressing was popular, and they began selling bottles that guests could take home, and later opened a factory to sell packets of ranch seasoning that had to be mixed with mayonnaise and buttermilk (packets that are still available to this day). In 1972 the brand was bought byClorox for $8 million.Clorox reformulated the dressing several times to try to make it more convenient. The first change was to include buttermilk flavoring in the seasoning so that home chefs only had to add
milk rather thanbuttermilk . In 1983, Clorox developed a non-refrigerated bottled formulation, making it even more popular.Ranch became a common snack food flavor, starting with Cool Ranch Doritos in 1987, and Hidden Valley Ranch Wavy Lay's in 1994.
Popularity
In much of America, ranch is a common
dipping sauce for things likefrench fries , chicken wings and other fried foods, such as fried mushrooms, fried zucchini,fried pickle s,onion rings , hush puppies, andcheese fries . Additionally, ranch dressing is used onpizza ,baked potatoes , wrap sandwiches,tacos , andhamburgers . This spread to other regions has been attributed toDenny's offering it as a choice with their meals for over two decades nationwide.Fact|date=January 2008Since Clorox owns the rights to the formula and the brand, makers of ranch-style buttermilk dressing have started using other names (like "House Dressing" and "Buttermilk Dressing") to avoid trademark infringement and litigation.
References
External links
* [http://www.tryitwithranch.com/ Try It With Ranch]
* [http://www.hiddenvalleyranch.com/about.php Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing history]
* [http://www.planetranch.com/ Planet Ranch]
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