Dips & Spreads, Ranked

Blended chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic; a Levantine staple that has become one of the most widely eaten dips on earth, working as spread, dip, and meal base alike.

An Aztec-rooted mash of ripe avocado, lime, chili, and onion; rich, fresh, and equally at home on chips, tacos, eggs, and toast.

From fresh pico to roasted and charred versions, salsa is a whole family of table sauces; in the U.S. it has rivaled ketchup as the top-selling condiment.

Genoa's raw sauce of basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil; brilliant as a spread, dip, and pasta sauce with intense herbal punch.

Strained yogurt with cucumber, garlic, and dill; a refreshing Greek dip that also cools grilled meats, gyros, and spicy plates.

Char-roasted eggplant blended with tahini and lemon; the smoky Levantine sibling to hummus with deep, savory character.

A Provençal-Catalan emulsion of garlic and olive oil; luxurious as a dip for fries, vegetables, and seafood and endlessly customizable.

A Syrian dip of roasted red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses; sweet-hot, nutty, and criminally underused outside the region.

Tex-Mex chile con queso: molten cheese and chilies served warm; irresistibly rich but essentially one-note and best fresh off the heat.

A pungent purée of olives, capers, and anchovy; a bold Provençal spread for bread and crudités, though its intensity limits its range.

A Catalan blend of roasted peppers, tomatoes, and nuts; superb with grilled vegetables (calçots) and fish, doubling as dip and sauce.

A raw dice of tomato, onion, chili, and cilantro; bright and clean, but its loose texture makes it a topping more than a true scooping dip.

Ground sesame that anchors countless other dips; excellent thinned into a sauce, but on its own it is bitter and one-dimensional.

A thick Greek purée of potato or bread pounded with garlic and olive oil; punchy and traditional, but heavy and fiercely garlicky.

Yogurt drained to a thick, tangy spread finished with olive oil; lovely and healthy but mild, leaning on toppings for interest.

A buttermilk-herb dressing that doubles as the U.S.'s most popular dip for wings, veg, and pizza; wildly versatile but often a bland crutch.

Mashed, fried pinto or black beans served warm; hearty and comforting as a dip, but thick, heavy, and reliant on toppings.

Sour cream mixed with onion soup powder; a retro chip dip that is easy and nostalgic but processed and one-note.

Spinach folded into a mayo-and-sour-cream base; a serviceable party dip that trends bland and heavy without much distinction.

Shredded chicken bound with cream cheese and hot sauce and baked; crowd-pleasing but stodgy, indulgent, and strictly a warm-appetizer novelty.