It's official: Iowans have a tremendous love affair with ranch dressing (2024)

Ranch dressing is ubiquitous in Iowa.

You'll finditon salads, veggies and alongside French fries and cheese curds — and sometimes even on pizza and tacos.

Now, the Hawkeye state's love affair withthis tangy, creamy condiment is official.

Influenster—a leading product ratings and reviews community with more than 30 million reviews — analyzed more than 50,000 reviews across its platform to determine which condiment is the most buzzed-about in each state.

It's official: Iowans have a tremendous love affair with ranch dressing (1)

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"As an Iowa native myself, I wasn't surprised to see that Ranch dressing came out on top. When I moved to New York, I couldn't believe not everyone dipped their pizza in it!" says Elizabeth Scherle, President and Cofounder of Influenster. "These type of unique insights are exactly what makes our platform so unique, with over 30 millionauthentic product reviews that truly represent the voice of the people."

It's official: Iowans have a tremendous love affair with ranch dressing (2)

And Iowa really, really lovesHidden ValleyOriginal Ranch Buttermilk Dressing. The dressing received1,819 reviews with a 4.6 out of 5-star rating. Most of those reviews and stars come from Iowa.

For true ranch dressing lovers, you can buy it by the gallon for putting on your salad, dipping your vegetables and chicken wings into or taking a bath in.

It's official: Iowans have a tremendous love affair with ranch dressing (3)

Be sure to bookmark these frequently-updated special dining features:

Check out some of the front-runners:

  • Frank's RedHotOriginal reigned supreme in Arizona, Maryland, North Carolina and Texas.
  • Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing swept the map across Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma and West Virginia
  • Nature's Way Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has Hawaii swooning (shocker), as well as Minnesota, Oregon, Alaska and Colorado.
  • Nutella Hazelnut Spread took the cake for these sweet-toothed states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia.
  • Huy Fong Foods Inc. Sriracha Chili Sauce came in on top for Washington, California and Nebraska.
  • Sweet Baby Ray'sBBQ Barbecue Sauce is the crowd-pleaser in Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana.
It's official: Iowans have a tremendous love affair with ranch dressing (4)

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The full list of condiment favorites by state:

  • Alabama:Sweet Baby Ray'sBBQ Barbecue Sauce
  • Alaska:Nature's Way Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Arizona:Frank's RedHotOriginal Cayenne Pepper Sauce
  • Arkansas:Hidden ValleyOriginal Ranch® Dressing
  • California:Huy Fong Foods Inc. Sriracha Chili Sauce
  • Colorado:Nature's Way Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Connecticut:Nutella Hazelnut Spread
  • Delaware:French's Classic Yellow Mustard
  • Florida:French's Crunchy Toppers Crispy Jalapeños
  • Georgia:Sweet Baby Ray'sBBQ Barbecue Sauce
  • Hawaii:Nature's Way Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Idaho:Hidden Valley Dips Mix Original Ranch
  • Illinois:Country CrockOriginal
  • Indiana:BertolliAlfredo With Aged Parmesan Cheese Sauce
  • Iowa:Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Dressing Buttermilk
  • Kansas:Country CrockOriginal
  • Kentucky:French's Crunchy Toppers Crispy Jalapeños
  • Louisiana:Sweet Baby Ray'sBBQ Barbecue Sauce
  • Maine:Marshmallow Fluff Original
  • Maryland:Frank's RedHotOriginal Cayenne Pepper Sauce
  • Massachusetts:Nutella Hazelnut Spread
  • Michigan:BertolliAlfredo With Aged Parmesan Cheese Sauce
  • Minnesota:Nature's Way Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Mississippi:French's Crunchy Toppers Crispy Jalapeños
  • Missouri:French's Classic Yellow Mustard
  • Montana:SKIPPYSUPER CHUNKPeanut Butter
  • Nebraska:Huy Fong Foods Inc. Sriracha Chili Sauce
  • Nevada:Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
  • New Hampshire:Wish-BoneBalsamic Italian Vinaigrette
  • New Jersey:BertolliVodka Sauce
  • New Mexico:McCormickGarlic Salt
  • New York:Nutella Hazelnut Spread
  • North Carolina:Frank's RedHotOriginal Cayenne Pepper Sauce
  • North Dakota:Hellmann's Carefully Crafted Dressing And Sandwich Spread
  • Ohio:Country CrockCalcium Plus Vitamin D
  • Oklahoma:Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Dressing Buttermilk
  • Oregon:Nature's Way Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Pennsylvania:HeinzKetchup
  • Rhode Island:Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
  • South Carolina:French's Crunchy Toppers Crispy Jalapeños
  • South Dakota:JIF Peanut Butter
  • Tennessee:French's Classic Yellow Mustard
  • Texas:Frank's RedHotOriginal Cayenne Pepper Sauce
  • Utah:Hidden Valley Cucumber Ranch Dressing
  • Vermont:SKIPPYCreamy Peanut Butter
  • Virginia:Nutella Hazelnut Spread
  • Washington:Huy Fong Foods Inc. Sriracha Chili Sauce
  • West Virginia:Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Dressing Buttermilk
  • Wisconsin:Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
  • Wyoming:SKIPPYSUPER CHUNK® Peanut Butter
It's official: Iowans have a tremendous love affair with ranch dressing (2024)

FAQs

Why is the Midwest obsessed with ranch? ›

Ranch was not invented in the Midwest, but thanks to our parents blanketing any food most of us breadbasket kids used to eat, it was deeply ingrained in our psyche as an all-purpose utility sauce.

What state eats the most ranch dressing? ›

Despite its pretty mainstream popularity, though, it only ranked number one in one state: Iowa. What the hell? Are people not eating enough chicken wings or something? Or are they dipping those in Ranch now, too?

Who loves ranch the most? ›

The Midwest knows ranch best

According to the Association of Dressings and Sauces (yes, that's a real thing), ranch dressing is more popular in the Midwest than any other region in the country (via The New York Times).

What is the best ranch dressing in Iowa? ›

And Iowa really, really loves Hidden Valley Original Ranch Buttermilk Dressing. The dressing received 1,819 reviews with a 4.6 out of 5-star rating.

Is ranch a southern thing? ›

Ranch originally hails from the Midwest, and it never went out of fashion there.

What percentage of America likes ranch? ›

(Forty percent of Americans named ranch as their favorite dressing; its nearest competitor, Italian, came in at 10 percent.)

What state puts ranch on pizza? ›

The ranch and pizza combination is known to be most popular in the Midwest, but people have been known to dip pizza in the good stuff everywhere from Texas to California.

What is the number one salad dressing in the United States? ›

The ranch is hands down America's most beloved salad dressings. It is made from a number of ingredients such as buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, onion, chives, salt, and pepper.

Is ranch basically Mayo? ›

Ranch dressing is essentially a buttermilk mayonnaise dressing spiffed up with herbs. It was popularized by Clorox, when they figured out a way to make their Hidden Valley brand shelf stable. (According to Slate, bottled ranch dressing is shelf stable to 150 days or about 5 months.

Do other countries eat ranch dressing? ›

France: Has Ranch! That's right, I found a couple French restaurants on the web that served ranch dressing, including The Sixty-Six Cafe. Germany: Has Ranch! I'm not too surprised here, I'll bet ranch goes great with a lot of german food.

What state eats the most mayonnaise? ›

Mayo is king in New Orleans, where they eat 2.4 times as much as anywhere else. For the past 10 years, America's most popular sandwich has been ham with mayonnaise. The least amount of mayonnaise is consumed in Omaha.

What is the most expensive ranch dressing? ›

This bottle's no joke. It's covered in 75 carats' worth of jewels, making it valued at $35,000. You could almost buy three brand-new Nissan Versas for that. But Hidden Valley knows you can't put a price tag on love, be it the holy matrimony kind or the condiment-you-drizzle-on-everything variety.

Why does Hidden Valley Ranch taste different? ›

The ranch packet has a fresher taste, because you add your own mayo and milk. Even though all the herbs and spices in the mix are dried, they rehydrate quickly and leave you with a product that feels homemade. This version of Hidden Valley Ranch is more flavorful than the bottled version and much, much thicker.

Why are stores out of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing? ›

Clorox, Hidden Valley's parent company, is dealing with a cyberattack that has affected the dressing's production. So stores for months have had trouble stocking what some people call America's favorite dressing.

Is ranch Southern or Midwestern? ›

Ranch was invented by a Nebraskan who began serving it in at a dude ranch in California, but its spiritual home has always been the Midwest.

Why is the Midwest known for farming? ›

“Growing clean water” while feeding the world. The Midwest is known for its bountiful and diverse agricultural production. Its fertile lands and waters provide ideal conditions for corn, soybeans and wheat crops, as well as 15% of the country's dairy products.

What do Midwesterners put ranch on? ›

Like “Ope!” or a church potluck with casseroles, ranch dressing is a foundational element of Midwest culture. And there is no denying that ranch is the most versatile of dressings – you can use it on a salad, as a dip for pizza, or as a way to convince children to eat vegetables.

Why is ranch so addictive? ›

natural and artificial flavors. this is part of the reason why ranch is so addicting. and you can't stop eating it, because it has all these ingredients in here, like MSG, that excite neurons in your brain, and they're quite literally addictive.

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