Mayonnaise and ketchup. Put them together and you have a condiment that is known by a number of names across the globe, including Russian dressing, hamburger sauce, and salsa golf. But all of those sauces are just imposters. Ask anyone from the state of Utah, and they’ll tell you that’s fry sauce.
According to local history, fry sauce was created in the late 1940s by Don Carlos Edwards, founder of the Utah-based fast-food chain Arctic Circle. Originally called “pink sauce,” the recipe includedketchup, mayo, garlic, and a mix of other spices to create an instant hit condiment that was perfect for french fries. The sauce quickly became a cultural institution that continues to be a source of fierce local pride.
Fry sauce is now available in nearly every diner, restaurant, and fast-food joint across Utah, and a number of other Western states. Given the ubiquity of fry sauce–like condiments all over the world, it’s unlikely that anyone can truly lay claim to having invented it. Just don’t tell anyone from Utah that.
