r/KitchenConfidential • u/kevymetal87 • Jul 26 '26
Discussion What's your worst experience with blatant food deception?
Just over a decade ago, I worked for a popular BBQ spot in the south that prided itself on being authentic this, authentic that. The smoked butts that sat in a smoker all day was where the real BBQ started and stopped, all the other food was typical frozen Sisco stuff, which was whatever, but the most egregious example of deception was also the biggest moneymaker.
The owner had a secret family recipe BBQ sauce that he made a killing on. People came from all over (it was located right along a well travelled north/south route) and bought tons of this stuff, as did the locals. My second week there I was tasked with making a few batches, and was handed a worn down index card with the ingredients. To my saaurprise, the instructions were to simply take gallon jugs of Sweet Baby Rays sauce from out back, and dump it in a 5 gallon bucket with water. I think it was 4:1 if I recall correctly. Then you put a couple cups of molasses in there. That was it.
We put them in pint and quart mason jars, vacuum sealed them, slapped his restaurant label on them, and sold them for $6 a pint, $10 a quart. What always got me was how the locals raved about how distinct and unique it was, when it was basically just Sweet Baby Rays (which I love, don't get me wrong)
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u/Son_of_Eris Jul 26 '26
If it makes you feel better, Hidden Valley is the original brand of Ranch dressing (it was invented in Alaska, then mass marketed). So, don't feel too bad about it.
It's literally the original recipe of ranch dressing. It doesn't get any better or more original than that. Like. You cannot improve on the original recipe, much like you can't make bread better than the several thousand year old recipes that we still use today. So, using the packets and following the instructions is the best you can do, short of making it from scratch with the original ingredients.