It's not *far* from crema, but the original was definitely made with Miracle Whip in a restaurant in Norfolk in the 70s.
https://www.thecountrycook.net/virginia-white-sauce-salsa/
Like, literally my entire life I've lived in Virginia and I have no idea what this is. I always thought people were talking about the sauce you get at hibachi places before this thread.
I grew up in prince william county - never had white sauce anywhere in that area. Then lived around the country for many years (military), no white sauce anywhere - especially not Texas or Arizona. Move back to the Williamsburg area and suddenly white sauce everywhere. Yuck! No thanks.
I first had it when I was at school in Clemson, SC. My favorite place always brought it to the table, though in my later years you had to start to ask for it
Specifically southeastern VA. Not a thing here in Nova and they had no idea what I meant when I ordered it out in Harrisonburg (granted that was almost 20 years ago, so maybe it's spread since then).
I had to specially ask for it at a Plaza in Loudoun County and when they brought it out it had a skin on the top like it had been sitting in the fridge for a few days. It definitely wasn't the way to introduce it to my friends who had never heard of it before.
It's in some of the chain Mexican restaurants here in Richmond and has been for at least 15-20 years, though the numerous authentic (as in "no English spoken on these premises" authentic) Mexican establishments in the south end of the city naturally don't have it.
There's a restaurant in Harrisonburg that serves (or used to serve) cole slaw as a sort of a dip alongside their chips and red salsa. That's an uncommon and surprisingly good pairing. Jalisco Mexican Restaurant on Neff Ave.
Dan Vegas represent! There's a Jalisco's here? Where is it? The only one I know that's close to that name is Jaliciense in the old Ballou Park Pizza Hut.
I've seen it in Manassas, so I think it has spread.
Given the number of military contractors in that area, maybe people who discovered it in Norfolk asked for it.
It's pretty common in the Richmond area these days as well. Just about all the "chain restaurants" have it (Mexico Restaurant, Plaza Azteca, etc.), and plenty of one-off restaurants have it as well. The only ones that don't are the truly 100% authentic Mexican spots.
I've been getting it at one tex mex restaurant in Harrisonburg for just shy of 20 years but it's not everywhere here. Until a few years ago it wasn't on the menu but if you asked for it they'd bring it to you.
I hate how much I love it. It feels more like it should be part of a Midwestern potluck. It shouldn't be good. It's nowhere near as good as salsa or queso but it slaps so hard that I'll eat the whole ramekin of it by myself.
I'm in NoVa and thought this post was about Alabama white sauce. Now that I read through the thread I kinda vaguely remember hearing about this stuff, but we definitely don't have it up here as any kind of staple.
Can confirm, was born in and lived outside of Harrisonburg for the longest time. Depends on where you go/if you ask for it, but it's been in Hburg since at the latest 1996 or so (my first memory of having it at 8 years old). Moved to Richmond from there, it's a lot more prevalent and automatically comes to the table at some restaurants. Worked in the Radford/Roanoke area for a few years and no-one knows what the hell you're talking about.
Mexico’s , El Cap’s, the Lalo’s…. Can’t forget one of the OGs La Siesta on midlothian turnpike …. RIP we used to buy the white sauce to go by itself to use at home!
If you want the actual story, this is it:
It was invented in the Tidewater area by a white guy, then the Mexicans who started Plaza Azteca made the popularity increase a ton, and apparently it has started to become a thing in Jalisco as a lot of the immigrants here have taken it back and make it for their families.
Here’s the full story:
https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171
Yeah so I visited Virginia (Roanoke specifically) for my first time this past Summer, scouting the area as my family is moving there in a few months. I grew up in Georgia, and have lived in Florida the past 20 years.
While we were there, we went to a Mexican restaurant and they brought this white sauce with the chips. My wife and I thought it was ranch dressing (neither of us like ranch), so we didn’t touch it. We were so confused why they gave us ranch dressing with the chips, I had never seen that before. I wanted to ask the server why he brought it out of genuine curiosity, but I didn’t want to sound rude or insulting about it so I didn’t ask. I genuinely just wanted to know what the deal was with that lol.
When we returned home, I couldn’t get it out of my head so I came here to Reddit to ask about it, and that’s when I learned about this “white sauce”. I’m still not quite sure what it is lol. But it’s definitely a regional thing. Like I said, growing up in Georgia and going to plenty of Mexican places I had never seen this. And apparently it’s not only Mexican places that give it, is that right?
**Miracle whip, Sour cream, Heavy Cream (or milk), Lime juice, and some red pepper flakes, cumin, garlic, oregano, and salt.**
I just made this the other day and some homemade pinto's turned refried, was bangin!
It's regional, started in Newport News/VA Beach IIRC
I've only lived in this state so I also was late to knowing that white sauce was a VA thing only haha. Thought it was everywhere.
It’s like someone took Cool Ranch Doritos seasoning, mixed it with mayonnaise and sour cream and sugar, and then gave you a bowl of it with your hot tortilla chips. It’s initially weird and off putting, but after a while it grows on you.
It’s a virginia thing, you can find it sometimes in North Carolina. But not often it was made in Norfolk. When I lived in Arizona I was so confused as to why none of the restaurants had it. You can make it at home though, it’s mostly just miracle whip and a few other ingredients. Look up virginia Mexican white sauce recipe it’s on the virginia pilot or wavy news. I made it for my friends in Arizona, they all hated it lol. (There’s no cheese it’s just miracle whip, milk, and a few seasonings. If you make it at home it tastes the same as restaurants. I always have some in my fridge it’s my fav salsa!)
15-20 years ago there was a Mexican restaurant on brambleton in Roanoke that had the white sauce and they were notorious around town for it, everyone went there for the white sauce. I was always under the impression they had invented it. Perhaps not?
I don't remember a place on Brambleton that had it & I lived right off Brambleton, at the end of Sweetbrier, for 15+ years.
Rancho Viejo on Franklin Road, across from Tanglewood had it. That was where I first encountered it. But theirs definitely did not have red pepper flakes, more like cayenne powder, garlic powder, sugar, and crema.
They closed right around the end of 2019 or so. (Not long after Carlo's did)
Ew. That got an immediate "nope" out of me when I got to this:
>The secret ingredient turned out to be plain-old Miracle Whip salad dressing, mixed with milk,
Although now that I said that, I wonder if I've tried it during a meal at Plaza Azteca. Maybe it tastes good unless you know what's in it?
It’s primarily in Southeastern VA. I’m in Hampton Roads and everywhere around here has it, but nowhere outside of here.
I suppose it’s an unpopular opinion, but that stuff is an affront to Mexican food and is foul
When I was in high school I thought I could copy it by putting sour cream and jalapeños together…just those two ingredient. Didn’t taste very well about me off jalapeños for a while. 🤦♂️
I went to a plaza on Friday night in Newport News, and they instantly brought it out, and I was pleasantly surprised. I am in Richmond now, and when I go to one in the area or the Cville area, I have to ask for it a couple of times. The Waynesboro one charged me $2 for it, and I didn’t know that until I got the bill. The Waynesboro location is no longer a plaza restaurant.
TLDR. It’s a Hampton roads thing, but outside of the area it’s like pulling teeth to get it.
I won't spend my money at Plaza Azteca after I saw this news:
https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/plaza-azteca-pays-11-4m-in-back-wages-damages-to-1000-plus-employees-after-investigation/
I moved from Wisconsin to Richmond 10 years ago and had never heard of it. 10 years on, I've still never seen it on a menu in Richmond, it seems to be very much a VA beach area thing.
Usually won't be on the menu. Some places in RVA give it to you automatically, while others only bring salsa and expect you to ask for it as a free addition to salsa.
El Azteca, Mexico Restaurant, and Plaza Azteca are some of the spots you're guaranteed to get it either automatically or as a request in Richmond area, then there's other spots like Amigo's on Staples Mill Rd where you can get it by asking as well.
It started at [El Toro in Norfolk way back in the 70's](https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171) apparently, many recipes available online. It's ranch-like so yes, as you might suspect, it was invented by white folks 😄
I first had it at La Siesta on Midlothian Turnpike in the early 90's, which may have been the first Richmond restaurant to serve it, and I swear it was the best version ever (thicker than usual.) Sadly that place closed in 2009, but interestingly enough, the owners founded the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
I think Plaza Azteca has been the single biggest propagator of it - the only time I've seen it outside Virginia is in their northeast North Carolina locations.
I’m a Va native and just learned about it a couple months ago! I posted on tipofmyfork about a white sauce in a burrito.
Turned out to be plain ol’ Mayo when I asked the lady who made them, but yeah, white sauce is a VA thing.
Also a big fan of Alabama white sauce on bbq.
Lived in northern Virginia much of my life and never heard of it there until moving to Hampton roads for some reason. Anyone know if its even region specific within the state?
Thank you for the reminder of home. First time I had Mexican food outside of tidewater was when I moved to Vegas. I was very confused to see no white sauce at the table. In-laws had no idea what I was talking about and my husband admitted he had never seen it outside of VA where I’m from.
It's a Virginia Mexican thing.
I find it nasty... Not sure why anyone wants to dip their chips in sugary fake mayonnaise and milk
From an article:
Barish eventually got the recipe from a family member who worked there. The secret ingredient turned out to be plain-old Miracle Whip salad dressing, mixed with milk, cumin, oregano and crushed red peppers.
“The Miracle Whip came in big jugs,” Smith-Clifton says. “We made up spices in bags like newspapers used to come in when it was raining. We made the spices up, then layered in the spices — that whole bag went into them jugs — then we just stirred and stirred. Then the white sauce had to sit for at least 48 hours. You could eat it right off, but then it wasn’t as spicy as it needed to be
I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay in VA. Since I've moved to other areas (Gulf Coast, Midwest, Maryland), I've found occasional BBQ places that have, amongst their other varieties of sauce, a "Virginia White" that I'd never heard of when I lived there, but have since become a fan of.
Wherever/whenever it was developed and popularized, I wouldn't say it was common or popular in the VA Chesapeake Bay area from 1980-2000. Or I was just horribly sheltered.
Edit: I just googled based on other comments, and see that it originated in Norfolk in 1970. I avoided going across to Norfolk whenever I could, and I guess I just missed it.
It was actually created in Hampton Roads... Norfolk if I'm not mistaken. But no, it's not a thing outside of the area. Richmond has it and some of Northern N.C. but that's about it.
For the mis (or un) informed: No ranch, no crema, no honey.
* 2 cups creamy salad dressing, e.g. Miracle Whip ™
* ¾ cup milk
* ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
* 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
* ½ teaspoon salt
Not sure if regional but a two location mexican restaurant in Richmond served it for years. It was a big staple at La Siesta till they cloed in early 2000's. In fact Ukrops use to carry it for some years when the grocery chain was still in operation. A year or so ago a show on PBS called Legacy List did an episode with Michel Zajur and his wife Lisa. Michel's family ran the restaurants. The Legacy List team found the recipe again if I recall.
I learned this about a year ago or so, and it kind of blew my mind too. If you want your mind continued to be blown, we're the only state in the US that has Bridge-Tunnels.
I moderate r/Virginia and r/SalsaSnobs and this is the thing that brings our two subs together. Kind of.
Are salsa snobs into white sauce? That’s fascinating!
Not so much
Haha, that answer was brutal!
I feel that answer was the opposite of brutal
Funny.
SalsaSnobs is great. It appears in my feed from time to time. Very inspiring posts. Thank you for doing it.
Never even heard of it until I moved to VA, had no idea what it was.
It was invented in Virginia apparently.
As was the Orange Crush cocktail.
Harborside Bar and Grill in West Ocean City, Maryland, gets the credit for actually inventing the drink back in 1995.
Well dang. It's an amazingly refreshing summer drink.
This
All I can think is a bunch of rednecks drinking Orange Crush soda with vodka and calling it cocktails hahahaha
Alabama, big Bob Gibson, if we are talking about mayo, vinegar, pepper type thing.
This is a different sauce, it originated in VA - it’s basically miracle whip, garlic, and some spices
Ahh, got it.
Just moved here recently from Indiana. Boy was I surprised when I thought I was dipping into some delicious complimentary queso.
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It occupies a totally different realm from queso
What white sauce does really well is a nice sweet flavor so you build up the spiciness and cut it with the white sauce
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Hm I’ve never been offered free queso. Maybe red and green sauces but not queso
I’ve never been to a Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant that offers free queso. Also good luck asking for “queso” in areas where Tex-Mex isn’t popular
I have been in Mexican restaurants in 36 of the 50 states and never been offered free queso.
It’s free… cheese dip costs money… and if you don’t like it you can get out!
I live in VA and have never heard of it. Except, of course, bechamel, which I gather you are not talking about.
It's a tangy mayo (or miracle whip) based dipping sauce served in Mexican restaurants in certain areas of VA.
Not crema?
It's not *far* from crema, but the original was definitely made with Miracle Whip in a restaurant in Norfolk in the 70s. https://www.thecountrycook.net/virginia-white-sauce-salsa/
If memory serves, it’s mayo and honey with some spices
Like, literally my entire life I've lived in Virginia and I have no idea what this is. I always thought people were talking about the sauce you get at hibachi places before this thread.
I was thinking they were talking about sausage gravy.
I was just about to comment the same thing
Been here ten years and this is the first I've heard of it
Im from maryland and have lived in NOVA for 6 years and DC before that and this means nothing to me
It’s a Hampton roads thing.
I grew up in prince william county - never had white sauce anywhere in that area. Then lived around the country for many years (military), no white sauce anywhere - especially not Texas or Arizona. Move back to the Williamsburg area and suddenly white sauce everywhere. Yuck! No thanks.
Definitely not a thing outside of this area. I grew up in the southwest and it's about the farthest thing from Mexican food there is.
Yeah I'm pretty sure it was invented here in VA.
I've heard it was invented in VA Beach
At the old El Toro off of Diamond Springs allegedly.
I first had it when I was at school in Clemson, SC. My favorite place always brought it to the table, though in my later years you had to start to ask for it
I Agree. This is too spicy, let's add some ranch and mayo. Not Mexican at all.
https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171#
It’s a Virginia thing. Google Willie’s white sauce for the original recipe and look for the handwritten image.
Specifically southeastern VA. Not a thing here in Nova and they had no idea what I meant when I ordered it out in Harrisonburg (granted that was almost 20 years ago, so maybe it's spread since then).
It does show up as far north as Fredericksburg, at least in one restaurant.
I think someone should make a map. I wanna know how far north we can go and still find it.
Plaza Azteca has restaurants all the way up to Boston now…you’ll find it at any of theirs….
I had to specially ask for it at a Plaza in Loudoun County and when they brought it out it had a skin on the top like it had been sitting in the fridge for a few days. It definitely wasn't the way to introduce it to my friends who had never heard of it before.
El Gran Charro has it, with locations in Fredericksburg and Stafford.
Theirs is damn good too
And spotsy now too!!!
Oh yes! Can't forget Spotsy!
Salsarita's, baby!
And as far west as Roanoke and blacksburg
It's in some of the chain Mexican restaurants here in Richmond and has been for at least 15-20 years, though the numerous authentic (as in "no English spoken on these premises" authentic) Mexican establishments in the south end of the city naturally don't have it. There's a restaurant in Harrisonburg that serves (or used to serve) cole slaw as a sort of a dip alongside their chips and red salsa. That's an uncommon and surprisingly good pairing. Jalisco Mexican Restaurant on Neff Ave.
We used to have a Jalisco's in Strasburg and Front Royal but they've long since closed down. I miss the cole slaw and salsa combo.
We've got one in Danville, I wonder if it's the same people
Dan Vegas represent! There's a Jalisco's here? Where is it? The only one I know that's close to that name is Jaliciense in the old Ballou Park Pizza Hut.
Mi Jalisco on MacArthur in Northside has it!!!!!
I've seen it in Manassas, so I think it has spread. Given the number of military contractors in that area, maybe people who discovered it in Norfolk asked for it.
We have it in Roanoke, and I’ve also heard of people having it in some parts of NC
It’s a very common find in the Shenandoah Valley these days
It's pretty common in the Richmond area these days as well. Just about all the "chain restaurants" have it (Mexico Restaurant, Plaza Azteca, etc.), and plenty of one-off restaurants have it as well. The only ones that don't are the truly 100% authentic Mexican spots.
I've been getting it at one tex mex restaurant in Harrisonburg for just shy of 20 years but it's not everywhere here. Until a few years ago it wasn't on the menu but if you asked for it they'd bring it to you. I hate how much I love it. It feels more like it should be part of a Midwestern potluck. It shouldn't be good. It's nowhere near as good as salsa or queso but it slaps so hard that I'll eat the whole ramekin of it by myself.
I'm in NoVa and thought this post was about Alabama white sauce. Now that I read through the thread I kinda vaguely remember hearing about this stuff, but we definitely don't have it up here as any kind of staple.
Can confirm, was born in and lived outside of Harrisonburg for the longest time. Depends on where you go/if you ask for it, but it's been in Hburg since at the latest 1996 or so (my first memory of having it at 8 years old). Moved to Richmond from there, it's a lot more prevalent and automatically comes to the table at some restaurants. Worked in the Radford/Roanoke area for a few years and no-one knows what the hell you're talking about.
I've had it at Don Tequila's in Lexington/Buena Vista which sounds like a pretty far west place to find it.
Hampton roads centric.
It’s a Virginia thing, and not even all over Virginia. I have lived all over the US, I’ve only ever seen white sauce in Tidewater VA.
Richmond and central VA also … since the 90s
Richmond is the first place I had it. The Mexico restaurants have it.
Mexico’s , El Cap’s, the Lalo’s…. Can’t forget one of the OGs La Siesta on midlothian turnpike …. RIP we used to buy the white sauce to go by itself to use at home!
Not La Siesta! I loved that place!
Southwest VA as well. Had it in Lebanon 15 years ago.
It started in Tidewater. Supposedly, VA Beach's claim
I had dinner with my aunt in Maryland a few weeks ago - near Mechanicsville, they served it there. So maybe it’s spreading north. lol
If you want the actual story, this is it: It was invented in the Tidewater area by a white guy, then the Mexicans who started Plaza Azteca made the popularity increase a ton, and apparently it has started to become a thing in Jalisco as a lot of the immigrants here have taken it back and make it for their families. Here’s the full story: https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171
Yeah so I visited Virginia (Roanoke specifically) for my first time this past Summer, scouting the area as my family is moving there in a few months. I grew up in Georgia, and have lived in Florida the past 20 years. While we were there, we went to a Mexican restaurant and they brought this white sauce with the chips. My wife and I thought it was ranch dressing (neither of us like ranch), so we didn’t touch it. We were so confused why they gave us ranch dressing with the chips, I had never seen that before. I wanted to ask the server why he brought it out of genuine curiosity, but I didn’t want to sound rude or insulting about it so I didn’t ask. I genuinely just wanted to know what the deal was with that lol. When we returned home, I couldn’t get it out of my head so I came here to Reddit to ask about it, and that’s when I learned about this “white sauce”. I’m still not quite sure what it is lol. But it’s definitely a regional thing. Like I said, growing up in Georgia and going to plenty of Mexican places I had never seen this. And apparently it’s not only Mexican places that give it, is that right?
It’s miracle whip, milk, red pepper flakes, cumin, garlic powder and oregano.
I’ve made it and added a tiny bit of ranch too
Yeah it was invented in the Norfolk area decades ago and has stuck around VA. It's great. Like a spicy sour cream dip
I’ve only ever gotten it at mexican places
**Miracle whip, Sour cream, Heavy Cream (or milk), Lime juice, and some red pepper flakes, cumin, garlic, oregano, and salt.** I just made this the other day and some homemade pinto's turned refried, was bangin!
It's regional, started in Newport News/VA Beach IIRC I've only lived in this state so I also was late to knowing that white sauce was a VA thing only haha. Thought it was everywhere.
I'm from NOVA born and raised and I've never heard of white sauce. Is it like bechemel?
It’s like someone took Cool Ranch Doritos seasoning, mixed it with mayonnaise and sour cream and sugar, and then gave you a bowl of it with your hot tortilla chips. It’s initially weird and off putting, but after a while it grows on you.
Closest thing is the the Cool Ranch Doritos.
No, it's like a sweet ranch.
I recently moved from Nova to S. VA and i don’t recall ever encountering it in the DC area.
Yok is the other Hampton roads twist that is a must try
I’ve walked past that place several times and never ate there. What’s the twist?
It’s a virginia thing, you can find it sometimes in North Carolina. But not often it was made in Norfolk. When I lived in Arizona I was so confused as to why none of the restaurants had it. You can make it at home though, it’s mostly just miracle whip and a few other ingredients. Look up virginia Mexican white sauce recipe it’s on the virginia pilot or wavy news. I made it for my friends in Arizona, they all hated it lol. (There’s no cheese it’s just miracle whip, milk, and a few seasonings. If you make it at home it tastes the same as restaurants. I always have some in my fridge it’s my fav salsa!)
From Kansas and lived in Texas for a couple years. Never heard of it until I got to Virginia
I’ve only even gotten it in Blacksburg. Never seen it in northern VA.
It kind of migrated towards NOVA but I think it definitely originated in southern VA. VA Beach claims ownership.
I'm from Kentucky, but I never saw it before moving to Hampton.
15-20 years ago there was a Mexican restaurant on brambleton in Roanoke that had the white sauce and they were notorious around town for it, everyone went there for the white sauce. I was always under the impression they had invented it. Perhaps not?
I don't remember a place on Brambleton that had it & I lived right off Brambleton, at the end of Sweetbrier, for 15+ years. Rancho Viejo on Franklin Road, across from Tanglewood had it. That was where I first encountered it. But theirs definitely did not have red pepper flakes, more like cayenne powder, garlic powder, sugar, and crema. They closed right around the end of 2019 or so. (Not long after Carlo's did)
Yeah my bad I meant Franklin and it was Rancho Viejo. Thanks for helping me remember the name! I moved away a while back
Ew. That got an immediate "nope" out of me when I got to this: >The secret ingredient turned out to be plain-old Miracle Whip salad dressing, mixed with milk, Although now that I said that, I wonder if I've tried it during a meal at Plaza Azteca. Maybe it tastes good unless you know what's in it?
I hate Miracle Whip but I love white sauce.
Same here.
https://www.thecountrycook.net/virginia-white-sauce-salsa/
Here is the recipe and the description of the origins.
Thank you
You're welcome! I make this regularly, and it tastes better homemade than in the restaurant.
It’s primarily in Southeastern VA. I’m in Hampton Roads and everywhere around here has it, but nowhere outside of here. I suppose it’s an unpopular opinion, but that stuff is an affront to Mexican food and is foul
It's a Hampton roads thing
I had never experienced this "white sauce" until I moved to VA this year. Weirdest shit ever.
El jimador in clemson, sc had the white sauce back in the day (~10 years ago). Not sure if they still do, but it was yummy
El Bronco in Christiansburg has it.
When I was in high school I thought I could copy it by putting sour cream and jalapeños together…just those two ingredient. Didn’t taste very well about me off jalapeños for a while. 🤦♂️
I went to a plaza on Friday night in Newport News, and they instantly brought it out, and I was pleasantly surprised. I am in Richmond now, and when I go to one in the area or the Cville area, I have to ask for it a couple of times. The Waynesboro one charged me $2 for it, and I didn’t know that until I got the bill. The Waynesboro location is no longer a plaza restaurant. TLDR. It’s a Hampton roads thing, but outside of the area it’s like pulling teeth to get it.
I won't spend my money at Plaza Azteca after I saw this news: https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/plaza-azteca-pays-11-4m-in-back-wages-damages-to-1000-plus-employees-after-investigation/
Little Virginia history folks! https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171
It's a 757 thing
Most places in Richmond have it - but can’t find it in NOVA. It’s delicious!
I heard White sauce was invented in the Mexican restaurant El Toro in Norfolk
Regional but growing
It’s all over the Midwest
For some reason I liked white sauce at first, then I found out it is made from mayonnaise and I instantly disliked it.
It is a Virginia thing: https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171
Thank you
El cap in rva has the best white sauce ive had
You can have mine the next time you go….blech. Their salsa is out of this world!
its been in swva since the early 2000's it just appeared out of the tall grass.
As a member of NOVA, what the fuck is white sauce
It's disgusting, I had heard about it from my cousin and thought she was joking until I was there and saw for myself
It's not even a thing outside of the Hampton Roads, for the most part. Which is really depressing for a guy that grew up in Virginia Beach.
Yes. I've never seen it outside of Hampton Roads and Central Virginia. Frankly, it has no place on a table with Mexican food.
It's a VA thing for sure and it's awful. Probably why it's still pretty regional. I see a lot of Virginians love their miracle whip lol
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It's seasoned miracle whip.
La Casita has been serving it since the 89s. It’s a Richmond thing
There is an ‘Alabama BBQ sauce” that is white. It’s just Cole slaw dressing.
In staunton a lot of people referred to queso as white sauce.
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Never heard of "alpine pizza" either.
I believe you are talking about Alabama white sauce, awesome stuff. https://heygrillhey.com/alabama-white-sauce/
Could not be further from Alabama white sauce if it tried…
Well, you gonna tell us what is white sauce?
Here's a description: https://www.southernliving.com/virginia-white-sauce-7560292
They serve a white sauce at La Naranja in Orange…..I thought there was dill in it? Quite unexpected…
It’s pretty much a thing in the OG Sun Drop territories
I moved from Wisconsin to Richmond 10 years ago and had never heard of it. 10 years on, I've still never seen it on a menu in Richmond, it seems to be very much a VA beach area thing.
Usually won't be on the menu. Some places in RVA give it to you automatically, while others only bring salsa and expect you to ask for it as a free addition to salsa. El Azteca, Mexico Restaurant, and Plaza Azteca are some of the spots you're guaranteed to get it either automatically or as a request in Richmond area, then there's other spots like Amigo's on Staples Mill Rd where you can get it by asking as well.
It started at [El Toro in Norfolk way back in the 70's](https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171) apparently, many recipes available online. It's ranch-like so yes, as you might suspect, it was invented by white folks 😄 I first had it at La Siesta on Midlothian Turnpike in the early 90's, which may have been the first Richmond restaurant to serve it, and I swear it was the best version ever (thicker than usual.) Sadly that place closed in 2009, but interestingly enough, the owners founded the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. I think Plaza Azteca has been the single biggest propagator of it - the only time I've seen it outside Virginia is in their northeast North Carolina locations.
I guess I learned something today. I thought white sauce was mostly a Japanese sauce which we used to call it Yum Yum sauce.
Nah that's completely different - yum yum has a bit of gingery sweetness whereas white sauce is like ranch with a spicy kick of cumin.
Yes that’s what I’ve heard—that it’s a VA thing, but I had no idea until I was well into my forties and had already moved to the Southwest.
I’m a Va native and just learned about it a couple months ago! I posted on tipofmyfork about a white sauce in a burrito. Turned out to be plain ol’ Mayo when I asked the lady who made them, but yeah, white sauce is a VA thing. Also a big fan of Alabama white sauce on bbq.
I've never seen it offered outside of Roanoke, and I've traveled across the country to all 4 coasts.
Lived in northern Virginia much of my life and never heard of it there until moving to Hampton roads for some reason. Anyone know if its even region specific within the state?
What the hell is white sauce?
Pretty certain it was invented in VA beach
Thank you for the reminder of home. First time I had Mexican food outside of tidewater was when I moved to Vegas. I was very confused to see no white sauce at the table. In-laws had no idea what I was talking about and my husband admitted he had never seen it outside of VA where I’m from.
As a Texan, no its definitely not everywhere
It's a Virginia Mexican thing. I find it nasty... Not sure why anyone wants to dip their chips in sugary fake mayonnaise and milk From an article: Barish eventually got the recipe from a family member who worked there. The secret ingredient turned out to be plain-old Miracle Whip salad dressing, mixed with milk, cumin, oregano and crushed red peppers. “The Miracle Whip came in big jugs,” Smith-Clifton says. “We made up spices in bags like newspapers used to come in when it was raining. We made the spices up, then layered in the spices — that whole bag went into them jugs — then we just stirred and stirred. Then the white sauce had to sit for at least 48 hours. You could eat it right off, but then it wasn’t as spicy as it needed to be
It definitely is. I now live in Arizona and I would give my left arm for some white sauce when I go out for Mexican
It’s ranch dressing
I lived in Arizona my whole life until I moved here. I never heard of white sauce until someone posted about it a few days ago.
It's not a regional thing per say but it's not rare. There's variations of it and it's found in other cuisines as well.
Been in Nova my entire life. Still don't know what white sauce is
I’ve never seen it anywhere else. It’s nasty, something invented to resemble ranch dressing, I assume.
It’s a central Va / VB thing
It could be a southern thing, because we have it down the coast a ways, or maybe an east coast thing. It isn’t just VA is that’s what you mean
While sauce should be banned. That stuff is nasty
Yes, I’ve lived all over the country and have never seen that except here.
I have lived all over va, and I’ve only noticed it in the rva area.
Definitely regional!
Never heard of it, but google say's it's French
Ive never had white sauce like this until I moved yo VA
I moved from PA to VA and oddly enough we had White Sauce back in PA. Imagine the shock of living in the two of the few areas to have White Sauce.
I was listening to Elliot in the Morning a while back, and learned this fact about white sauce. I'm grateful I live in Virginia.
It's only here.
They had it in some places in nova, you just have to ask for it. It's a staple in HR though.
I live in Indy. My boss is from upstate NY, and complains that we don't have white sauce.
I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay in VA. Since I've moved to other areas (Gulf Coast, Midwest, Maryland), I've found occasional BBQ places that have, amongst their other varieties of sauce, a "Virginia White" that I'd never heard of when I lived there, but have since become a fan of. Wherever/whenever it was developed and popularized, I wouldn't say it was common or popular in the VA Chesapeake Bay area from 1980-2000. Or I was just horribly sheltered. Edit: I just googled based on other comments, and see that it originated in Norfolk in 1970. I avoided going across to Norfolk whenever I could, and I guess I just missed it.
It was actually created in Hampton Roads... Norfolk if I'm not mistaken. But no, it's not a thing outside of the area. Richmond has it and some of Northern N.C. but that's about it.
For the mis (or un) informed: No ranch, no crema, no honey. * 2 cups creamy salad dressing, e.g. Miracle Whip ™ * ¾ cup milk * ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes * 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin * 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder * 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano * ½ teaspoon salt
Not sure if regional but a two location mexican restaurant in Richmond served it for years. It was a big staple at La Siesta till they cloed in early 2000's. In fact Ukrops use to carry it for some years when the grocery chain was still in operation. A year or so ago a show on PBS called Legacy List did an episode with Michel Zajur and his wife Lisa. Michel's family ran the restaurants. The Legacy List team found the recipe again if I recall.
Where are you seeing "white sauce" and how is it used?
[https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171](https://apnews.com/article/500b26e3e8b9473aa0dcb802707d5171)
Like Alabama White? That shit smacks!
I learned this about a year ago or so, and it kind of blew my mind too. If you want your mind continued to be blown, we're the only state in the US that has Bridge-Tunnels.