Ketchup: An American Invention?

Due to the popularity of the last post and procrastination (I watched all 5 hours of Pride and Prejudice last night), I have decided to make this a series of entries. Due to requests, today we will look into the history of Ketchup.

The origins of this tasty condiment, which graces 97% of households in America, lie in the Near West (as I call it because Portland is actually to the east to what everyone else calls the "Far East"). In the 1600s, sailors and merchants brought back a sauce from China called ke-tsiap. Translated, this tasty treat roughly means brine of the picked fish or shellfish.

This sauce was made with anchovies, walnuts, and oysters. The name was changed to catchup, and in 1711 we have the first signs of "ketchup" being marketed. It wasn't until 1812 that the first recipe for ketchup included tomatoes. This crazy invention was created by an ex-pat American, Canadian.

In the 1830s, it was first sold in bottle. In England it was called "tomato chutney" to distinguish it from the former concoction. At that point it was rather runny and almost transparent. (Mmmm...)

In 1837 it was sold nationwide due to the efforts of Jonas Yerkes. Then in 1872, HJ Heinz added ketchup to its pickled products line and introduced it to the Philadelphia fair. To this day, his formula hasn't changed.

In 1981, the Reagan administration tried to get ketchup declared as a vegetable. Because "ketchup" was the actual name of this potential new veggie, companies, such as Del Monte, changed their variable spelling (e.g. catsup) to the now almost standard ketchup.

While Reagan was unable to get ketchup on the vegetable list, it does have some nutritional value. One tablespoon of it has all the nutriets of a medium ripe tomato, and it is rich in anti-oxidants which may decrease cancer risks.

There have been many variations and selling tactics such as colored ketchup, an alleged ketchup flavored ice cream, and celebrity names gracing the packing. Who could forget Lindsay Lohan's Burger-licious ketchup? Still, the regular red ketchup is what graces the shelves and is now an American staple.

Source: eSSORTMENT, Culinary Sleuth, and Planet Ketchup