When it comes to food, every region has its staples—those little menu items or pairings that feel totally normal until you leave town and realize no one else knows what you’re talking about.
That’s exactly what TikTok creator Jay (@jayfreezing), a Midwesterner currently traveling for work, recently experienced.
In a video that’s now garnered over 1.9 million views, he described a confusing dining moment over a side of fries—what he assumed was a normal request.
What caused the confusion?
“I am a Midwesterner currently traveling in Louisiana for work,” Jay begins. “I went out for supper tonight, and I ordered some tacos that came with a side of waffle fries,” he begins.
Not thinking about it, he asked the server for a dip that he’s used to when eating waffle fries.
“I asked, ‘Hey, can I get some seasoned sour cream with my waffle fries?’” Jay recounts.
That’s when things got confusing.
“The waitress looked at me, and she said, ‘I guess I am going to have to see if the kitchen has sour cream,’” he describes. “And I was like, ‘Oh no, I don’t want just sour cream. Do you have seasoned sour cream?’”
Cue more confusion.
“She was very confused,” Jay adds. “And I was like, ‘You know what, it’s fine. I’ll just take some ranch.’”
But it wasn’t just the waitress who didn’t know what he meant.
“My co-worker who is traveling with us, who is from Florida, also did not know what seasoned sour cream is,” he says.
So now, Jay’s wondering: “Is that a regional thing?”
What is seasoned sour cream?
If you’ve never heard of it, you’re probably not from the Midwest.
Seasoned sour cream is exactly what it sounds like—regular sour cream mixed with a blend of spices, usually things like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, maybe a little cayenne, and some salt and pepper. Some recipes also call for mayo.
The result is something tangy, creamy, and just a little bit punchy—perfect for dipping fries, cheese curds, or anything fried, really.
It’s a staple in places like Minnesota and Wisconsin, where it often shows up on bar food menus or alongside waffle fries at casual restaurants.
While to locals it’s just a given, outside of that region you might get some confused looks when you ask for it—just like Jay did.
That said, similar sour cream–based dips do exist, like French onion dip or California dip. They’re not exactly the same, but they use some of the same ingredients.
‘Another niche Minnesota thing’
Turns out, even among Midwesterners, opinions on seasoned sour cream are divided.
“Oh good. Another niche Minnesota thing that we all think is so normal but actually just makes us seem weird,” one person joked.
Someone else admitted they hadn’t heard of it either. “Midwesterner here & I’ve never heard of seasoned sour cream. Fries with ranch are my go-to.”
But for others, it’s non-negotiable. “Someone from Minnesota, seasoned sour cream is absolutely the only option for waffle fries,” one commenter wrote. “I simply wouldn’t have eaten them with ketchup.”
@jayfreezing What do people dunk their waffle fries in?! #midwest #minnesota #louisiana #travel #condiments ♬ original sound – JayFreezing
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jay via TikTok messages for comment.
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