Much ado has been made of the recently announced campaign by Hidden Valley (HV) to ‘re-think’ the Ranch phenomenon. It involves a new direction in the evolution of Ranch flavouring which may or may not be on the right track….
What they’re doing
A couple of weeks ago, HV announced a whole new line of Ranch Dressings and Seasonings. The stated aim of the launch was to, “cater to varied taste preferences, ensuring there is something for everyone.”
What do you immediately notice about the following ‘menu’ of new flavours?
- Blue Cheese Ranch: Ideal for wing lovers.
- Kickin’ Cajun Blackened Ranch: A spicy Cajun blend, available only at Kroger.
- Cilantro Lime Ranch: Perfect for nachos and tacos.
- Cracked Pepper Ranch: A creamy salad and bowl companion, exclusive to Walmart.
- Sweet BBQ Ranch: A smoky, sweet addition to fried chicken, also at Walmart.
- Garlic Ranch Seasoning: Packed with garlic intensity for proteins and veggies.
- Creamy Jalapeno Ranch Seasoning: Offers a jalapeno kick with herbs and spices.
Pushing the boundaries?
“As the creators of Ranch, we continue to push boundaries and deliver irresistible, crave-worthy flavors,” says Marketing Director CC Ciafone emphasizing Hidden Valley Ranch’s commitment to innovation.
Looking at the array of ‘new’ flavours, I see a cavalcade of old flavours. But I can’t particularly place them as ‘newstalgia’ offerings. They’re more like a pantheon of ‘greatest hits. But since Hidden Valley hasn’t done them before, they may qualify as the brand’s newstalgic take on industry-wide old faves, ‘re-imagining’ them as Ranch-family ‘updates’.
I also note that two of the offerings are old-fashioned dressing ‘dry-seasoning’ packets. Offering latter-day-classic flavourings in the legacy format certainly does qualify them as ‘newstalgic’. But does that make them Ranch?
Inside out?
Nevertheless… I get this weird feeling that I’m looking at a sort of ‘inside-out’ innovation effort. For instance, it’s hard to tell whether I’m looking at Blue Cheese-flavoured Ranch, or Ranch-flavoured Blue Cheese dressing. And if those ARE two different things, what’s the difference between them, anyway?
A new RINO?
There’s a label that politicos often slap onto ‘new’ Liberal Republicans, as of the late 20-teens. ‘RINO’ is the acronym for ‘Republican In Name Only’, which denotes party members who are insufficiently loyal to the party or insufficiently conservative.
I propose a new culinary application for the term – denoting dressings or flavours that are Ranch In Name Only. That is, ‘new’ or newstalgic flavours that are insufficiently ‘Ranchy’, or Ranch-dominated blends which are only token representations of the stated partner flavours.
My take
It’s not Sunday, but this issue does pose some interesting, discussion-worthy questions…
To paraphrase the old enigma…
- When is a Ranch NOT a Ranch?
My original understanding was that ‘Ranch’ denotes a SPECIFIC creamy dressing. Like ‘Thousand Island’, ‘Russian’, ‘French’or ‘Green Goddess’. Vinaigrette, however is a style of dressing, basically classic ‘Oil & Vinegar’, which can be used as the base for a wide range of flavour variations.
- Is it in any way valid to imply – much less state explicitly – that ‘Ranch’ is suddenly a separate style of dressing, rather than a specific flavour of creamy dressing?
- If so, what sets it apart, in a class all its own, from ‘creamy’ and ‘vinaigrette’?
- Is it valid to claim that any buttermilk-based dressing is a ‘Ranch’?
I beg Hidden Valley to at least make an effort to resolve these vital issues before carrying on with its ‘re-imaginaton’ campaign…
~ Maggie J.