The Story Behind…Fried Pickle and Ranch Dip

Here in the south we love our county fair food. Deep fried Oreos, hot dogs, caramel apples, funnel cakes, oh yeah and did we mention.. Fried Pickles!

One of the reasons you might have visited our site is because you had a chance to try our most popular product, Taste of the South Fried Pickle and Ranch Dip. You might wonder, “Why Fried Pickle Dip?” Well, I’ll tell ya.

For me, the first time I tried the delectable-crispy-tangy-goodness of a fried pickle was near the birthplace of the fried pickle, rural Arkansas. Visiting a food truck in Mountain Home, Arkansas (coincidentally, the birthplace of bluegrass music), my wife and I were intrigued by the “Fried Pickle Spears” on the menu. We were instantly hooked.

Not far from our food truck experience is the origin of fried pickles. Per Wikipedia: Fried dill pickles were popularized by Bernell "Fatman" Austin in 1963 at the Duchess Drive In located in Atkins, Arkansas. The Fatman's recipe is only known to his family and used once each year at the annual Picklefest in Atkins, held each May. In 1963, before the culinary world knew of ranch dressing, the Fatman offered ketchup as a dipping sauce.

With a name like Fatman, how can you go wrong?

And so, we are here today. We knew there was something to the delicious zing of a fried pickle, balanced out with cream cheese and sour cream, so our kitchen scientists whipped up a recipe, and through multiple taste testings (which I was glad to be a part of), we landed on the Taste of the South Fried Pickle and Ranch Dip you can find in your local grocery retailer or Club store. If you haven’t tried the Fried Pickle Dip, I suggest you run to the store and grab some. It might be the closest thing to the Fatman’s pickles you can get outside of Arkansas.

-Matt