"Ketchup / Catsup" - A History of the Sauce

[packman]

For today's culinary lesson, let us explore the wonderful history of America's favorite sauce from its beginnings as fermented fish and bean paste to today's sugary tomato wonder.





"Mushroom ketchup, walnut ketchup, anchovy ketchup, and oyster ketchup all became popular takes on the condiment during the late 18th century and early 19th century in Europe, along with ketchups made from fruits such as peaches, lemons, and plums. Jane Austen’s friend Martha Lloyd documented how the Austen family made walnut ketchup from green walnuts, salt, vinegar, cloves, mace, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, horseradish, and shallots in A Jane Austen Household Book. These early, Westernized versions of ketchup, which also sometimes involved beer in the fermentation process, were often amber or even dark brown in color, looking and tasting more like the fish sauces from which they came than the mild tomato-based sauce that’s served alongside French fries and in burgers"

A video about a brand of Ketchup I think I'll try:

?t=2

http://www.avclub.com/article/why-ketchup-called-ketchup-257134

[pangaia]

1. So far, the best Thread today.....

Especially interesting as a Chinese cuisine buff.. I mean REAL Chinese...

Talk about 'fermented beans'..... One could start with pixian douban.

[Warpy]

2. I have quite a few Chinese recipes that call for the Heinz kind of ketchup

and they're great for seafood that isn't exquisitely fresh, something you find in land locked states like NM.

However, for putting on burgers and dipping things into, you can't beat a good chunky tomato salsa. Ketchup is kid stuff. Salsa is for grownups.

[LWolf]

3. No matter what you call it,

it's disgusting stuff.