- Chick-fil-A sauce
Sliding into my number five slot is going to be the signature sauce of one of the nation’s beloved chicken places—Chick-fil-A sauce. The mysterious condiment that people once longed for is now even available for purchase in bottles thanks to its widespread popularity. A really unique taste, one has to just try this on chicken nuggets and french fries to truly understand why so much excitement is behind it. Easily one of the young superstars in the dipping sauce industry, I will have to leave the CFA sauce at five, though overtime I could surely see it rising.
- Guacamole
While not the first thing that comes to mind with the word “condiment,” guacamole is incredible and must be considered over plenty of more mediocre options like mustard, barbecue sauce and mayonnaise. It completes every Latin American dish with a refreshing avocado flavor and deserves its recognition amongst some of the elite dipping sauces in the world. The love for the dip has gone so far that tortilla chips are even now flavored with it. These tortilla chips are phenomenal, too, and may even surpass regular ones in terms of flavor and taste. Guac has surely solidified a spot inside of the top five.
- Daisy sour cream
As for the bronze medal, Daisy sour cream has quickly become one of my favorite players to watch in the condiment world. The innovation of squeeze technology makes it even more versatile and better allows for sour cream to be put on tacos, burritos and everything in between. The one catch with sour cream is that, for me, it has to be Daisy. Any other brand drops it out of the top five. Nonetheless, because of this brand’s dominance in the market of this dairy product, I will put it at third place being that sour cream is one of my favorite and most often used condiments to support my dishes.
- Heinz ketchup
A lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I am a bit ashamed to have Heinz ketchup fall short of the crown, but second is still a very respectable place for one of the most comforting condiments. Ketchup can seriously go on anything—just ask Patrick Mahomes II who even applies it to his steaks. That play-making ability, along with its flavor that appeals even to those that dislike tomatoes, makes ketchup one of the once-in-a-lifetime condiments that will always be in the competition for a gold medal. In this list, it will take silver, but Heinz’s signature product is a go-to favorite for all.
- Chick-fil-A buttermilk ranch
Chick-fil-A will make its second appearance on the list, but this time through its buttermilk ranch, which has outclassed every other condiment that I have tasted. Any and all ranch is great, with Ken’s and Hidden Valley just outside this top five, but there is something about the chicken place’s ranch that separates it from the rest of the pack. It has such a crisp flavor that adds the right amount of seasoning to chicken and, for that, this specific ranch will be crowned the champion of the list. Chick-fil-A cannot miss with any of their dipping sauces, but as an avid ranch consumer, their work on this condiment carries it to the top of the group.
Some Lower Dauphin students agreed, with sophomore Luke Brown saying, “Ranch [is my favorite condiment]. Probably wouldn’t eat salad without it.”
Others simply did not. Sophomore Keaton Wagner went in an entirely different direction than me.
“Favorite dipping sauce is probably buffalo ranch. [It has] got that tang but also creaminess.”
