Meddle not in the affairs of the dragon; for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Ketchup . . . Catsup . . . confused?

Ketchup is a condiment . . . that we all know.  Except did you know that it wasn’t originallytomato based?  That and the word ketchuphas its roots in Chinese . . . I’ll bet you didn’t know that!  From as far back as the 1700’s, it was foundin the Far East.  Except there it was originally a spicypickled fish sauce or a soy sauce called ke-tsiap or kecap.  Kecap . . . morphed . . . ketchup.

Catsup (or catchup) is an Anglicized version of the wordketchup . . . same stuff, different word. Mystery solved.

Early ketchups were all dipping sauces.  Most included mushrooms, walnuts or anchoviesas a base instead of tomatoes . . . plus other spices.  Not quite what most of us have in our refrigeratorstoday.  That wasn’t introduced untilabout 100 years later in Americaby none other than crafty New Englanders. And even then it wasn’t the popular condiment it is today.  It took a while to gain popularity. 

You wonder why you can’t find ketchup in most Europeandining establishments?  That’s because it’san American thing.  So if you travelabroad . . . bring your own.

It wasn’t until Henry J. Heinz began making ketchup in thelate 19th century that it started to catch up. He had to compete with a whole slew of others to make ketchup one of the most common condiments in American kitchens today.

Heinz Ketchup vied for tomato-ee domination against DelMonte & Hunts Catsup.   In wasn’t until the 1980's when ketchup was declareda vegetable by the government for school lunch menus that ketchup won out overcatsup.   Catsup, because of its spelling, was not onthe approved list.  Heinz won! 

I know people who putketchup on everything they eat . . . and I mean everything . . . it’s really abit much and I’m sure it’s insulting to whoever does the cooking for them.

Ketchup goes well with lots of foods.  Just not every food.  


Make sure to shake your ketchup bottle before using to avoid the inevitable flow of liquid that settles on the top.

Did you know there’s a whole phychology around who eatsketchup and how? There’re dippers and squirters, to sprinklers and smotherers.  Really . . . you can’t make this stuff up!

The sauciology is as follows:

1. Those who dunk into a well of ketchup are methodical andtrustworthy. But they may also be control freaks who are afraid of change.

2. Ambitious people splodge their sauce in the middle oftheir food.

3. Creative types squirt and swirl their sauce in thinlines. But deep down they are impatient and do not tolerate fools ortimewasting.

4. Those who dot their ketchup are friendly, but liveconservatively and dream of adventure holidays.

5. Smotherers are the life and soul of the party.

6. Artists who draw faces and words on their food have aneasy-going approach to life.

7. Gourmets who keep ketchup in a cruet appear charming but,deep down, may be snobbish social charmers.