Ranch Dressing
Ranch dressing is a type of salad dressing made of some combination of
buttermilk,
salt,
garlic,
onion, herbs (commonly
chives,
parsley, and
dill), and spices (commonly
black pepper,
paprika, and ground
mustard seed), mixed into a sauce.
Sour cream and yogurt is sometimes used as a substitute by some home cooks or to create a lower-fat version. Ranch dressing has been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992, when it overtook Italian dressing. It is also popular as a dip.
Popularity
Ranch dressing is common in the United States as a dip for vegetables such as
broccoli and
carrots, as well as for chips and "bar foods" such as french fries and chicken wings. It is also a common dipping sauce for fried foods such as fried
mushrooms, fried
zucchini,
jalapeno poppers, onion rings,
chicken fingers, and hushpuppies. In addition, ranch dressing is used on pizza,
pickles, baked
potatoes, wraps, tacos,
pretzels, and
hamburgers.
While popular in the United States and Canada, ranch dressing is virtually unknown in many parts of the world. In places where ranch seasoning is used to flavor snack foods, the flavor may be described as "American" flavor.
Ranch dressing is produced by many manufacturers, including Hidden Valley, Ken's, Kraft, Marie's, Newman's Own, and Wish-Bone.
