While you might think it’s an American term that we’ve come to adopt throughout the world to name the favourite sauce, it’s actually got a more surprising and far flung heritage . It turns out that the word ketchup actually comes from the Hokkien Chinese word kê-tsiap, which is the name of a sauce made from fermented fish – a type of fish sauce.
One answer is, in the UK, ketchup is still commonly referred to as “tomato ketchup” because those other variations still exist in some way, shape, or form . Europeans first encountered ketchup in either China or Indonesia. At the time, it was a briny pickled fish sauce and contained no vinegar at all.
This of course begs the inquiry “What is tomato ketchup made of?”
Tomato ketchup is a condiment manufactured with similar ingredients, although paste is used rather than whole tomatoes. Tomato sauces are used in many products including frozen foods, pasta sauces and pizza toppings, etc. A typical tomato sauce would be based on sieved or whole tomatoes, and/or tomato paste.
You might be wondering “When were Tomatoes first used in ketchup?”
I can figure it out! it wasn’t until 1812 that the first reference to tomatoes in ketchup surfaced. The first known recipe for tomato ketchup is thought to be written by James Mease, a horticulturalist and scientist – he even referred to tomatoes as “love apples” in his recipe that contained tomato pulp, spice and brandy.
Yes, most ketchup is a tomato product, but ketchup can be made without tomatoes . Typically, when we think of ketchup, we think of those red bottles lining the condiment section of the grocery store. What we’re thinking of in these moments is tomato ketchup, and it is by far the most common variety of this condiment.
Some things seem better out of a supermarket bottle. And one of those is tomato ketchup. It’s a rare person would even consider making their own, even though it has few ingredients. Heinz Tomato Ketchup, for example, uses just tomatoes, vinegar, salt, spice and herb extracts along with the dreaded sugar.
For instance, 148g of tomatoes are used to make 100g of a specific Heinz tomato ketchup (Feb-2018, Albert Heijn store website). You might think that ketchup is a good way to use up old, low quality tomatoes. However, often the opposite is the case.
Does tomato ketchup go off?
Fortunately, there are a few clear signs to look out for when ketchup has gone bad. The vinegar and other liquids separate from the tomato paste as the tomato sauce ages. A layer of liquid on top of ketchup is the first sign that it is starting to go off .
If your ketchup has gone off, it is best to avoid using it . Not only does bad ketchup taste awful, but it will also ruin the rest of your dish. However, you can still use ketchup that is past its prime to remove rust and polish brass, silver, and copper!
Here is what we stumbled across. whether you’re tucking into fish and chips, burgers or even a bacon sarnie, it’s hard to imagine many of our favourite meals without a dollop of ketchup on the side. Tomato sauce is sweet, savoury and has just that right amount of punch to make it the perfect accompaniment with many a meal – and it’s certainly a household favourite.
Who invented ketchup?
One hundred years later, New Englanders created the definitive tomato ketchup when Maine seamen returned from Mexico and the Spanish West Indies with seeds of an exotic New World fruit called tomato. The tangy tomato ketchup quickly became a popular sauce for codfish cakes, meat, and other foods.
This is what our research found. ketchup manufacturers continue to improve the quality of ketchup by developing tomato strains that are superior in color, flavor, and firmness. Tomato hybrids are also engineered to improve resistance to disease and rot, thus decreasing the reliance on chemical pesticides.
What do you know about tomatoes and tomato sauce?
Tomato sauce is sweet, savoury and has just that right amount of punch to make it the perfect accompaniment with many a meal – and it’s certainly a household favourite. Tomato sauce is a household favourite throughout the world, but would you know where the name ketchup comes from?