Are sauces regional within the US?

27 comments

1. Somewhat, Tartar with fries is a regional thing.
   Theres a bunch of standard everywhere sauces like ketchup and mustard, though those will have usage variations.

2. Yes, absolutely. Almost every state has their own variation on BBQ sauce (including the weirdos in Alabama who make it with mayonnaise and the people in the Carolinas who make it with mustard somehow)

   Beyond that people are pretty regional about the mayonnaise they prefer, the steak sauce they prefer and the mustard they prefer. The only national thing, in my experience, is Heinz ketchup

3. I mean…the majority of sauces, no. Most Americans will use Hellman’s mayonnaise, French’s mustard, Heinz ketchup, and whatever the most popular national BBQ sauces there are. But there are regional sauces, sure.

4. Regional within the US and within the states themselves.

   For example, east Carolina BBQ sauce is completely different from western Carolina sauce.

5. I know in the midwest they worship at the altar of Ranch

6. Cream gravy seems to be a very southern thing

7. Ranch or Bleu Cheese?

8. And lack of sauce is probably pretty regional.

   In I’d say places like California and New England? It’s more about the food and not the sauce.

   We do have a sauce that is regional but sort of kitschy. Ah-so sauce is very New Englandy!

9. Idaho and Utah are very proud of Fry Sauce. The rest of the country doesn’t have the heart to tell them it’s just mayonnaise and ketchup.

   Like, that’s literally what it is. It would be like if people in Maine mixed ketchup and mustard together, called it “orange sauce” and insisted it was a regional speciality.

10. I’ve heard anecdotally that Western Pennsylvanians love ketchup more than average. Might just be a Heinz propaganda talking point though, I’m not sure.

11. Yea

12. I grew up in the Puget Sound dipping school pizza and chicken burgers into ranch, tartar sauce for fries at restaurant, and mayo+ketchup for fries at home. We didn’t eat fish enough at home to always have tartar sauce.

    I know people say “the midwest loves ranch the most” but maybe they just eat the plainest foods? Ranch wouldn’t go onto soul food or Tex-Mex. But it does good things for potatoes and low quality cafeteria food.

13. Chow Chow is pretty unique depending on where its made.

14. Yes, absolutely. Even BBQ sauce, which is a regional thing in itself, has distinct regional variants.

15. We take our hot dog chili very seriously where I live. Local brands are all different and have die hard followers.

16. Some are.

    Fry sauce. Mmmmmmm

    I’m a big ranch fan too. I had pizza on the east coast and asked for ranch for my pizza, they didn’t have any. Lol

17. So you’ve got your condiments like mayonnaise ketchup and mustard which are pretty Universal over the entirety of the United States.

    Behind that you’ve got your dressings which are mostly universal across the United States with things like vinaigrettes and ranch and thousand island but you will have some Regional dressings made from local produce.

    Standard sauces like barbecue or alfredo can and will often vary from region to region.

    So basically condiment are Universal, dressings are mostly universal with some Regional, and sauces are mostly Regional with some Universal

18. If you grab takeout in DC, you might be given a little tub of mumbo sauce. That’s a sweet condiment with a texture similar to barbecue sauce.

19. The Chicago [hot] Dog uses mustard. NEVER ketchup.

20. Cincinnati chili is kind of a sauce. That might qualify

21. Yes

22. Chiltipenes or chiltipene salsa (hot sauce) is a staple in my household. I don’t think I’ve seen it outside the Southwest. Its a red pepper that grows on a bush and looks like a holly bush. Very potent, but different heat. Call that shit ‘red gold’ because if you don’t grow your own bushes its like $6 for 0.6oz.

    ​

    Its the best hot sauce/pepper imo

23. Im originally from the South and we have a ton of regional BBQ sauces, usually reflecting immigration patterns.

    Anything outside the South is garbage tho frfr

24. Old Bay Seasoning in the East versus Tony Chachere’s in the South. Team Tony all the way here.

25. Southerner who was hard pressed to find hot sauce when I lived in the Midwest. No Texas Pete, no Louisiana hot sauce. Nothing. No seasoning period.

26. Northeast Ohio is big on stadium mustard. It’s smoother than brown mustard and a little less spicy. Bertman mustard is a must on a hot dog at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

27. I’d be interested if anyone has experience with different mustard preference based on region…there are so many different kinds of mustard. Probably most people in the US use them all for different purposes. Like, you would put straight yellow mustard on a hot dog (shut up Chicago) or on a ham sandwich, but brown mustard on a brat or with corned beef. Honey mustard with chicken, I dunno?