I am going to let you in on a secret, guys. I freaking love Ketchup! If there’s anyone on this planet who doesn’t praise ketchup like the way I do, I consider them an alien. Whether you’re hogging on a burger or eating locally made fried rice, a good squirt of ketchup just makes the dish absolutely lip-smacking. Heck, ketchup has even replaced sambar to make dosas delicious. There’s a reason why it’s the guardian of the food industry, keeping our tummies and hearts happy.
But, have you ever stopped to wonder about the origin of ketchup?
The sweet and savoury concoction never had an American origin. In fact, the word ‘ketchup’ is derived from the Chinese word ke-tsiap, which translates to pickled fish sauce. Yes, the world’s first ketchup had nothing to do with tomatoes but fish. During the 17th century, when English sailors made their way to China, they came across the sauce only to take it back to their homeland and replicate it. Over time, ketchup in England came to be known as a sauce which included mushrooms.
When ketchup reached the land of the free and home of the brave, America, it underwent a lot of alterations. And the best one was the addition of tomatoes. The sauce recipe was first introduced by Sandy Addison in 1801 in The Sugar House Book. However, it was salty even though it had a long-lasting shelf life. The American ketchup became popular in the coming years because of the many iterations that were created. Finally, when people realised that adding sugar and vinegar to the concoction that made the sauce taste exceptionally good, there was no looking back. By the end of the 18th century, The New York Tribune called the tomato ketchup that made its way to every table.
So, there you go, the history of ketchup was ‘fishy’ after all. Now that you know about its history, let’s prove to you why ketchup is amazeballs through these photos.
How much do you love ketchup? Let us know in the comments below.
