Friday, June 26, 2026

Question: A 1950s guest ranch in the mountains above Santa Barbara lent its name to what salad dressing now found on tables around the world?

Answer: Ranch dressing. Steve Henson developed the buttermilk-and-herb recipe while feeding work crews in Alaska. After buying the Sweetwater Ranch on San Marcos Pass in 1956 and renaming it Hidden Valley Ranch, he served the dressing to guests, and it became so popular that it took the ranch’s name and grew into a worldwide staple.