Ketchup History

You can go to almost every grocery store, and it's there. Open many an American's refrigerators, and it's there too. Ketchup. Many people are almost obsessed with this tomatoes based commodity! They smother burgers, fries, eggs; almost anything you can think of!

There are websites dedicated to it, countless articles, and yes, even books delving into the history that is ketchup.

Americans nationally will spend roughly $430 million (yes, you read that right) according to one Chicago based firm (and that doesn't even include Wal-Mart sales, wow!). $430 million dollars (post-gazette) that is a lot of ketchup!

Ketchup may have actually started way back in the 1600's, although wasn't exactly the ketchup we know and love today. To be fair, it is a debated fact as to ketchups apparent origin, however, the following version is the most repeated.

The first 'ketchup' (then known as kachiap) was made from the brine of pickled fish, which was used for a dipping sauce.

Traders eventually brought this concept to Brittan, where it gained popularity, and a name change. Being there referred to as catsup. Of course, the recipe underwent changes, and instead of pickled fish, the sauce became made out of pickled walnuts and mushrooms.

This recipe was passed around, and colonial Americans had a go at this dipping sauce too, concocting their own new versions, and changing the pronunciation and spelling to their own liking as well.

In the nineteenth century, something resembling our ketchup was born, and the tomatoes was added as an ingredient, mostly to take the bite out of the more tart recipes. In the 1870's, a little company (very new then) known as Heinz decided to add ketchup to it's condiment line (exploratorium). Which, of course, made this a more popular selection, even though they were not the first company to bottle and sell this concoction.

Ketchup has thousands of recipes (some versions giving it a jaunty green color), using every imaginable vegetable, even some fruits (let's not get into that tomato debate, shall we?). The most popular today however still incorporates the tomato as a staple ingredient.

Ketchup is so popular, there was even once an ice cream made after the delightful staple, however, they quickly (as in, a few gallons) came to realize, there wasn't exactly a market (or a taste) for ketchup ice cream (ketchup.com).

If you eat it or hate it, dip or smother with it, ketchup is still America's top selling commodity today.