Hidden Valley is America's best-selling ranch dressing brand and the creator of the original ranch dressing, which has become the most popular salad dressing and condiment flavor in the United States. The brand traces its origins to 1954 when Steve Henson, a plumber from Nebraska working in Alaska, developed a buttermilk-based dressing recipe that he later served to guests at the Hidden Valley Ranch, a dude ranch he and his wife Gayle purchased near Santa Barbara, California in 1956. The dressing became so popular with guests that the Hensons began selling it as a dry seasoning mix by mail order. In 1972, Clorox Company purchased the Hidden Valley Ranch brand and developed the technology to produce shelf-stable bottled ranch dressing, launching it nationally in 1983. Ranch dressing has since become a cultural phenomenon in America, used not only on salads but as a dip for pizza, chicken wings, vegetables, fries, and virtually everything else. Hidden Valley's product line now includes Original Ranch, Light Ranch, Avocado Ranch, Spicy Ranch, ranch seasoning mixes, dips, and Hidden Valley Secret Sauce, a ranch-ketchup hybrid. The brand sells approximately $1 billion worth of ranch products annually, making it one of the most valuable condiment brands in the United States. Ranch dressing has transcended its origins to become a distinctly American flavor, and Hidden Valley remains the undisputed market leader in this enormous category.
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