It’s the friend of all manner of dude foods. Creamy redeemer of countless lacklustre salads. Guilty accomplice to celery and carrot. But when a couple of bottles came over our desk, it got us asking: what is ranch dressing?  In the off chance this question has been haunting you for life – don’t worry, us neither – we’ve got you.

What is ranch dressing made of?

There’s no real mystery behind the extra-creamy texture of ranch dressing – buttermilk is a central component of most recipes, often mixed with mayonnaise or sour cream, and sometimes all three. To the rich buttermilk base is added garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs (mostly dill, as well as parsley and chives), salt and black pepper. Though this is widely considered the standard base, it’s quite normal to see all manner of extras, including vinegar for tang, mustard and lemon juice, and Greek yoghurt replacing mayo in ‘healthier’ versions.

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Who invented ranch dressing?

Ranch dressing is about as American as blue jeans and tall tales out of Florida. It’s been the single highest-selling dressing sold in America since 1992, and almost universally traces its origins back to one brand, Hidden Valley Ranch, and one man, Steve Henson. A gregarious plumber turned cowboy, Henson claimed to have first invented ranch when dressing a salad to feed his plumbing crew in Alaska in the early 1950s. After moving to Santa Barbara and opening a dude ranch – Hidden Valley Ranch – Henson and his wife Gayle got a reputation for dousing everything served to their guests in this unnamed signature sauce, until its popularity inspired the couple to name it: Hidden Valley Ranch sauce.

Starting with mail-order flavour sachets before moving into bottles, the sauce business soon eclipsed the ranching game. Within two decades, ranch mania was so widespread that a multinational bought it from the Hensons for US$8 million in 1973 (the equivalent of US$60 million today), and from there, ranch dressing became an American fixation.

How to make ranch dressing

If you’d like to try your hand at making it from scratch, whisk the creamy bases together with the seasoning and herbs (dried are traditional, but fresh adds an extra depth, as does using fresh, minced garlic instead of the classic garlic powder). Whisk in vinegar and lemon if you want some extra tang to cut through the creaminess.

To make a meal of it, try Matt Preston’s ranch dressing recipe paired with its old friend, buffalo wings. Or the easy yet more elegant grilled zucchini drizzled in a blue cheese ranch dressing.  Or sauce up your next barbecue with the Studd Siblings’ beer can chicken with ranch dressing.

What is buttermilk?

Thinner than cream but thicker than milk, buttermilk is a popular ingredient in baking and sauces. Originally, traditional buttermilk was a byproduct of butter production – the liquid left over when fermented cream was churned – which is partly why it’s a staple in country-style cooking. Today, the store-bought version is known as ‘cultured buttermilk’, which is essentially regular milk purposely fermented with active cultures to mimic the original. Rich, creamy and packing a tart and tangy aftertaste, modern buttermilk is the secret to fluffy baked goods.

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