It is not only spectacular goals and unexpected victories that are getting people talking at the FIFA World Cup. A creamy sauce that has long been part of everyday life for Americans is emerging as the tournament’s unexpected culinary revelation for European fans.
Every World Cup writes its own stories. Most of them unfold on the pitch or in the stands. This time, however, an unlikely protagonist from the supermarket aisle is providing an unexpected plot twist. As millions of fans travel across the host country, the United States, many are discovering a product so ordinary there that it is almost as familiar as mustard is to Germans: ranch dressing.
On TikTok and Instagram, videos of European visitors trying the dip for the first time are piling up. The reactions are surprisingly similar. Somewhere between disbelief and genuine enthusiasm, many are asking: why don’t we have this at home?
Anyone who associates ranch dressing solely with salad is thinking too European. In the United States, the creamy blend of buttermilk, mayonnaise and herbs such as dill, parsley and chives has long been a culinary all-rounder. It is served with pizza, chicken wings, fries or vegetable sticks, and is most often used as a dip.
What surprises many travelling football fans is that while ketchup, barbecue sauce and garlic sauce have long been established in Europe, ranch has so far played only a minor role. One German fan summed up the excitement humorously to The Washington Post: after his team’s World Cup exit, he was hardly interested in the result anymore – after all, he had discovered ranch dressing. By his own joke, he had consumed more ranch during the tournament than he had watched football matches.
The hype has now grown so large that even the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has responded. In a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post, the TSA reminded travellers that ranch dressing counts as a liquid and that larger bottles therefore do not belong in hand luggage. Anyone hoping to take several bottles home will need to pack them in checked baggage.
Manufacturers, too, are making use of the viral moment. Alongside classic bottled versions, seasoning mixes are now being promoted, allowing fans to recreate the dressing at home with buttermilk and mayonnaise. The lesson: even if the dream of lifting the trophy is over, there is always comfort to be found in food.
