Fried Pickles with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. (Photo: AE Dairy) By Michael Morain Editor The next time you find yourself near a tub of ranch dressing and want to impress your family and friends, feel free to borrow a line from Miriam Erickson Brown, CEO and chair of Anderson Erickson Dairy. “Oh , that diacetyl flavor is good at the end note,” she said, referring to the tangy richness that comes from a natural compound in various dairy products. “It can be stronger or weaker or more in the middle, depending on the culturing process.” Like most Iowans, Erickson Brown (pictured) knows a thing or two about ranch. And thanks to the World Cup, the rest of the world is catching on, too. TikTok is veritably slathered with videos of international visitors drizzling ranch on pizza, munching ranch-flavored snacks and stocking up on ranch souvenirs. The TSA even posted an advisory on social media: “If you’re visiting for a very large sporting event you happen to discover RANCH while you’re here … pls pack it in your CHECKED BAG on your way home.” The agency also urged travelers to “avoid chugging your ranch outside security” lines. Long before the condiment became a global sensation, it was a humble homemade concoction. Steve and Gayle Henson mixed up the first batches in the 1950s at Hidden Valley Ranch, their dude ranch in the hills above Santa Barbara, California. Guests began asking for jars to take home. Powdered seasoning packets soon followed. Then the dressing spread to, and thoroughly coated, the Midwest. “Here in Iowa we can always feel really good about being an authority on ranch,” Erickson Brown said. “We know how to make it, use it, eat it and enjoy it. It’s been a part of our life and culture here for a long time.” Although AE doesn’t sell its own ranch dressing, it produces two of the main ingredients: sour cream, which adds body and richness, and buttermilk, which contributes acidity and “that distinct tangy flavor,” Erickson Brown said. The third essential ingredient, mayonnaise, “holds it all together.” Most recipes also call for herbs — usually parsley, dill, chives — and/or garlic and onion. Purists prefer dried ingredients because they blend in smoothly without disrupting the dairy emulsion. The other key ingredient is patience. “You have to let all those flavors meld together,” Erickson Brown said. “But anything that’s homemade always tastes better.” Erickson Brown said her team noticed an uptick in requests for bigger buttermilk containers about 18 months ago, long before ranch filled the World Cup. Online influencers, including MasterChef Grant Gillon of Altoona, have been posting recipes for dishes like Fried Pickles with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and Crescent Ranch Pizza. Incidentally, that pizza recipe calls for AE Ranch Sour Cream Dip — not dressing — the only ranch product AE currently sells. It’s not a bestseller. “It has to compete against French Onion and Party and Mexican,” Erickson Brown said. “We have a lot of flavor loyalists in dip.” Hmm. Sounds like the World Cup. Take note, soccer fans: If your team is losing, reach for some buttermilk. Erickson Brown recalled a bit of family wisdom: “My dad always thought it’s good for calming your stomach.” ...read more read less