With a need to eat more wisely as I age, I spend a lot of
time in the grocery store reading labels. While I have eliminated some foods
from my shopping list that used to be standards, one staple I still insist on
having is ketchup. However, when I realized how much sugar and salt go into my
favorite condiment, I wondered if I could make it at home. And because I love
history—and the history of the American west in particular--the next thought
was ‘where was ketchup created’ and did they have it in the old west?
The origins of ketchup are thought to be in a Chinese
pickled fish sauce or brine made in the late 1600s. The British brought the
table sauce back from their explorations of Malay states—present day Malaysia
and Singapore—and by 1740 it was a staple in their cuisine. The Malay word for
the sauce was kĕchap, which evolved
into “ketchup” and became “catchup” and “catsup” in America.
Original versions of “ketchup” were made from lots of different savory
items. One very popular one in America was mushrooms. Check out the picture of
“Mushroom Ketchup.” The 1913 edition of
Webster’s Dictionary defines catchup as “a table sauce made from
mushrooms, tomatoes, walnuts, etc.”
Tomatoes weren’t used in making the sauce until the early 1800s. A
recipe published in 1801 seems
Most families made their own ketchup. In 1837, a man named Jonas Yerks
is credited with making tomato ketchup a national food by producing and
distributing his product across the U.S. It wasn’t long before other companies
joined the rush, including H.J. Heinz, who launched their brand of ketchup in
1869.
Early versions were thin and watery, more like the fish sauce than the
thick tomato product we’re accustomed to, but had less vinegar than the modern
recipe. In fact, I doubt we’d recognize the jar of ketchup served by a Harvey Girl
in a Harvey House Restaurant in the 1880s as the same product Americans have
come to love--but it’s fun to know it was there.
Tracy
Check out the six novels that make up "Under a Western Sky" today!
Isn't history interesting? While not a huge fan of ketchup, I do love the history of food. Thank you for adding to the knowledge. Doris
ReplyDeleteGlad to be of service, Doris.
DeleteTracy,
ReplyDeleteFor me, ketchup is its own food group. *wink* Remember when ketchup went through that weird phase of being green or purple? It tasted the same as red ketchup, but it was sure hard for me to eat it.
Kaye, I do remember those. Yuck! I have a hard time with the neon green pickle relish they put on a Chicago Dog. Who wants purple on a hamburger?!
DeleteLike Doris, I don't use much ketchup because I don't care for sweet on meat (same with BBQ sauce). But that mushroom ketchup sounds good. Might try making some. Speaking of which, my parents made ketchup once--the only ketchup I actually liked. But that was a one time deal because it took four bushels of tomatoes and two days to make about half a dozen bottles. LOL. So that was the end of their ketchup making.
ReplyDeleteJacquie, I wanted to start making my own to cut out the chemicals. I gave up the project for that very reason--four bushels of tomatoes costs a lot more than 6 bottles of Hunt's. lol
DeleteI love this. So interesting!!
ReplyDeleteOhmygosh, "Mushroom Ketchup"? Really? A shiver just went down my spine. Ick!
ReplyDeleteJust about every summer when the garden came in we always had an abundance of tomatoes and, once again, parents would work on their ketchup recipe. Actually, they made some mighty exquisite renditions. They didn't write their recipes apparently, because it was different every year. Pop didn't like store ketchup, but I was addicted to the store bought type. Looking back, I didn't realize how lucky I was. I would really appreciate their efforts now.
This was such an interesting blog, Tracy. I had no idea of the varied ingredients that were once included in ketchup. Walnuts? I just wouldn't have imagined that. It is such a shame that they include chemicals, sugar, and salt in so many foods we eat these days.
All the best to you, Tracy.