this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2026
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"Ranch" flavor comes basically 100% from salt and MSG. There is a microscopic amount of herbs that make next to no difference. Ask anyone who thinks MSG is bad for you if they have cut out Ranch dressing for some hilarity. (May not apply to non-Americans).
Ranch is basically garlic and onion flavor.
Ranch has more salt than anything and more MSG than garlic, look at the ingredients on a pouch. Ingredients are listed by order of volume. It has more corn starch than onion. It has basically traces of anything else. I know this because I spent not a small amount of time replicating Ranch dressing.
Although there are a hundred MSG-conspiracy-nut websites that will tell you you don't need MSG to make Ranch dressing, there is no Ranch dressing recipe that tastes anything at all like Ranch without MSG. Full stop.
I have a feeling there's a huge overlap between the people who complain about Chinese food and the people who raved about the Mississippi pot roast viral recipe (which has two packets of MSG-loaded seasonings in it).