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Gastropod
Why Are Kids Dipping Cookies in Ranch, Are Food Comas Real, and What's Inside the Mummy's Stomach?
Dec 17, 2024
Nikolai Kokushkin, a life sciences professor at NYU studying memory in sea slugs, and Abby Reisner, author of "Ranch," dive into the delightful oddities of food culture. They uncover the astonishing history of ranch dressing, birthed by a plumber turned culinary star, and discuss why kids are obsessed with pairing it with everything. The duo also explains the science behind food comas, linking them to sluggish sea slugs and revealing how our holiday feasts might just be wearing us out!
55:19
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Quick takeaways
- Ranch dressing's rise from a simple homemade recipe to a billion-dollar industry showcases its significant impact on American culinary culture.
- The scientific explanation behind 'food comas' reveals how large meals, especially those rich in fats and carbohydrates, induce drowsiness.
Deep dives
The Rise of Ranch Dressing
Ranch dressing originated in the 1940s when Steve Henson, a plumber in Alaska, created a creamy, herby dressing to enhance the flavor of less-than-fresh vegetables for construction crews. After achieving success in the local restaurant scene at his Hidden Valley Ranch in Santa Barbara, Henson's dressing became increasingly popular, leading him to sell it in packet form for home preparation. The popularity surged when Clorox purchased the Hidden Valley brand in the 1970s, heavily investing in advertising to promote it as a healthy alternative to blue cheese, thus igniting its national presence. Ranch dressing's breakthrough came with the launch of bottled versions in the 1980s, allowing it to dominate the salad dressing market and prompting the introduction of ranch-flavored snack foods.
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