Forget Ketchup, Michiganders Are All About Dipping Fries In Ranch

It's the common stereotype that we here in the Midwest sure do love our ranch and Michigan is at the very heart of that.

Just in my fridge alone we have three different brands of ranch that we use for separate occasions...like the true Michiganders we are.

One of my favorite places I've ever eaten was Twisted Ranch in St. Louis where they make 27 different types of ranch in-house and feature them in their recipes.

Why Do We Love Ranch So Much?

Back in 2017, MetroTimes reported that "More ranch is sold in the Great Lakes region than any other..."

I think it really comes from how versatile ranch is in comparison to other sauces. Ranch can go on veggies, chicken, pizza, and more. There's ranch-flavored powders you can season things with or just sprinkle on top of popcorn.

Shoot, even Crocs teamed up with Hidden Valley for some ranch-themed Crocs!

When you think of your favorite condiment, ketchup usually ranks pretty high up there, but how does it stack up to ranch?

“Ranch is a mega-flavor in food that’s found across the store," Jacquie Klein, director of the brand studio that oversees Hidden Valley marketing told TODAY. "Where ketchup is really bound by its bottle in the condiments aisle.”

TODAY also reported in 2019 that ketchup sales were on the decline as ranch's popularity has been on the rise.

The Proof Is In The French Fries

Knowing the connection we here in Michigan have with ranch and comparing it to ketchup, what better way than to just simply ask what else people put on French fries?

So we hopped on the ol' Facebook to gauge everyone's responses:

Ranch was definitely the most consistent answer; though, some responses did come as a bit of a surprise!

There's things you would expect like mayonnaise, queso and barbecue sauce. However, the ones that you wouldn't necessarily think of right away included tartar sauce, McDonald's Sweet & Sour sauce, and some people getting nostalgic with fries dipped in a Frosty from Wendy's!