What is Ranch Dressing?
Ranch dressing is an extremely popular dressing in America and is used primarily as a salad dressing and dipping sauce. It is made by blending together mayonnaise, buttermilk, seasonings and additional ingredients. The dressing is white with dark flecks of herbs and has a creamy and slightly thick texture. The flavor is creamy, salty, rich and herbed with a hint of tanginess.
What does Ranch Dressing Taste Like?
Sour is one of the five main tastes. It is tart and bright, sometimes with a mouth-puckering quality. Sour is a naturally occurring flavor found in many foods, including citrus, vinegar, various dairy products, and certain fruits. Sour is used to enhance a dish or drink and is used as both a main and complimentary flavor.
Umami is one of five main tastes. It is savory with a depth of flavor. Umami is a taste in many foods, including meat, seafood, beans, and nuts. It is both naturally occurring and created through the specific use of ingredients to create a satisfying taste. Umami is characteristic of proteins and savory dishes.
Ingredients
Mayonnaise is a cream colored condiment and thick sauce, or spread. Mayonnaise is made by slowly adding oil to a mixture of raw egg, vinegar and seasonings, until it thickens. This is done by continuously whisking. The flavor is mild, tangy and a bit salty with a comforting quality from the creamy texture. Mayonnaise is a multi-use ingredient for sauces, cold meat salads, sandwiches and more.
Buttermilk is a dairy product, traditionally made from the remaining milk liquid after butter is churned. Today, commercial buttermilk is made by fermenting cow's milk with lactic acid and healthy bacteria. Buttermilk is slightly thicker than regular milk; similar in consistency to a very watery smoothy. It is white in color, has a distinctly sour taste and in the western world it is commonly used in baked goods to tenderize the crumb and add lightness to the texture.
Chives are an herb in the onion family and are comprised of skinny green and hollow stalks, about one foot tall. They grow in clusters and have a slight crunch, yet are tender. Their flavor is like a very delicate onion and somewhat green. Chives are at their most flavorful when used fresh, though can be used dried. When dried the are often chopped into thin rings and used to garnish a dish and add flavor.
The onion is a bulb vegetable, meaning its bulb and not its leaves are eaten. Onions come in many varieties, including white, yellow and red. Shallots are small and mild onions. Vidalias are sweet, while red onions are strong and sharp. The onion is usually round and has a thin dry skin around its juicy layers. This skin depends in the color of the onion, as does the flesh. The flesh, or body of the onion is made of multiple round layers, that get smaller towards the center. The flavor of onions are sharp and sweet when raw, with an astringent taste. When cooked, these flavors mellow and the sweetness emerges. Onion are a very common flavoring and ingredient for many savory dishes.
Parsley is an aromatic herb with slender green stalks and sturdy, small green leaves. There are two common types of parsley, curly parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley. Italian parsley has a more robust flavor than curly parsley. Though each type tastes green, spicy and vegetal, with a hint of bitterness. Parsley is used as and herb to flavor dishes and as a garnish.
Fresh dill is a a fringed green herb, with slender stalks. The fringe of the dill is dried using mild heat or air, and is gently ground into tiny, short, thread-width pieces. The color is a muted green when dried and has delicate flavor of fennel and anise with a hint of bitterness. Dried dill is commonly used in egg dishes, savory herbed baked goods and with fish.
Mustard is a yellow condiment and spread used for sandwiches, and as an ingredient for sauces and more. Mustard is made from the seeds of the mustard plant and either ground into powder or used whole. Mustard varies from bright yellow to a muted golden brown. The texture of yellow mustard, such as Dijon or American is smooth. Grainy mustard, made from the whole pinhead sized seed is brown. In general, mustard has a spicy, mildly hot and vinegary flavor. Some types are more tart and one dimensional, while other varieties have a range of tastes. Mustard is a refrigerated item and usually only a small amount is needed of this strongly flavored condiment.
The peppercorn plant grows in tropical climate and produces tiny black fruit. The fruit is dried and become hard. At this point it is ground into a textured powder comprised of black and grey dots. It has a flavor that is spicy, pungent and sharp. Pepper is an extremely popular spice, especially in Western cuisines and lends a gentle heat to dishes. There are different varieties of black pepper and the flavor changes subtly because of this.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
