Farm dressing is out, say fed-up Gen Z foodies – who have also dubbed ‘swalty’ the new swicy

Now they are canceling the ranch dressing.

A new demographic report on food preferences for 20-somethings shows a massive shift in their tastes — including a rejection of America’s second-favorite condiment.

Ranch, second only to mayonnaise, was called “overrated” by Gen Zers, according to data analyzed by Rubix Foods.

Although 21% say they’ve “finished” ranch dressing, some 43% said the unique flavor twist on the classic seasoning could make it go down easier.

Coincidentally, the numbers show that searches for farm fresh flavors have also exploded by 250% on Google since last November.

Chipotle’s ranch flavor is most desired in New York and the Northeast; garlic farm is on the minds of mid-Atlantic coasters; buffalo ranch rules in the western parts of the US; and pizza ranch is supreme on both the Pacific coast and the Midwest, according to research.

In the south, Jalapeno farms are at the top of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.

However, that’s not the only quirk Gen Z is feeding off of. Their obsession with pickles and condiments is catching on, as around one in five young people insist on introducing pickle sauces.

Brands are unwittingly trending, as numbers show that only 14% of Gen Z don’t enjoy their favorite food. Pickle brand Grillo recently collaborated not only on a cream cheese pickle with Pop-Up Bagels, but even launched a pickle-flavored toothpaste.

However, while their palates crave the new and strange, Gen Z is also returning to a classic combination of snack flavors – sweet and salty, or “swalty” as it’s called.

The match made in heaven could buck last year’s sweet and spicy trend, or the “swicy” that has recently consumed menus with the explosion of items like hot honey. Combining zeitgeist-friendly flavor wasn’t exclusive to food either.

Coca-Cola launched flavored soda to compete with Dr. Pepper; The latter is strangely desired by some surveyed Gen Zers to turn into sauce.

Gen Z has a 5% higher desire for “swalty” than “swicy” and this number is expected to extrapolate by 32% in the next three years.

An example is how 70% of individuals surveyed said they would go to Carl’s Jr. But only for one of the fast food chain’s salted caramel pretzel candies.

Swicy is projected to grow by just 10% over that time frame.

August data from the International Food Information Council found that across all ages, 59% and 58% of savory snacks go for sweet and salty, respectively.

As for the rise (or comeback) of “swalty”, Amanda Topper, a food analyst at Mintel, has some ideas.

“Consumption of salty foods is largely driven by emotions, including stress and boredom,” she told Supermarket News in 2017.