National Ranch Day Date in the current year: March 10, 2024

In Western cuisines, including American cuisine, there are two main types of salad dressing: vinaigrettes based on oil and vinegar or citrus juice, and creamy dressings based on fermented milk products and/or mayonnaise. Ranch dressing belongs to the second group because its key ingredient is buttermilk.

Ranch dressing was invented by Steve Henson, a plumbing contractor from Thayer, Nebraska. In 1949, Henson moved to a remote area of Alaska for a job. He created a buttermilk-based salad dressing during his three-year stint in Alaska to keep his crew happy. Henson’s professional success allowed him to retire early and move to California, but he wasn’t the sort of person to just sit back and do nothing. A year and a half into his retirement, Henson purchased a ranch in San Marcos Pass and named it Hidden Valley Ranch. He served the salad dressing he had come up with in Alaska to his guests, who enjoyed it immensely.

Soon Henson began to produce his ranch dressing commercially. It became so successful that Henson eventually closed the guest ranch and focused on the salad dressing business. The demand for Henson’s ranch dressing was so high that he had to open a factory in the early 1970s in order to satisfy it. In 1972, Clorox bought the Hidden Valley Ranch brand.

Since then, a number of manufacturers have started to produce their own versions of ranch dressing. The dressing was originally sold as a dry mixture of herbs and spices that was meant to be mixed with mayonnaise and buttermilk. Today, however, the pre-mixed version in bottles is much more popular.

Ranch dressing is made from buttermilk, mayonnaise, garlic, onion, mustard, salt, herbs and spices. The most common herbs and spices used to make ranch dressing include chives, dill, parsley, ground mustard seeds, paprika, and pepper. Yogurt and sour cream are occasionally used in addition to, or instead of, mayonnaise and buttermilk.

Ranch dressing has been the most popular salad dressing in the United States since the early 1990s, when it overtook vinaigrette-type Italian dressing. According to a 2017 study conducted by the Association for Dressings and Sauces, it is the favorite dressing of nearly half of Americans. Ranch dressing can be consumed as a salad dressing or as a dip for various items ranging from baby carrots to chicken nuggets and French fries. It is also used in sandwiches.

Like with many food days, the origins of National Ranch Day are unclear, but you shouldn’t let it stop you from observing this amazing holiday. You can celebrate it by including ranch dressing in every meal you eat during the day, hosting a ranch dressing blind taste test for your friends or coworkers, and trying new ranch recipes. And don’t forget to post about the holiday on social media with the hashtags #NationalRanchDressingDay, #NationalRanchDay, #RanchDressingDay and #RanchDay.