We Asked, You Answered: What's the Unexpected Food You Put Ketchup On? (2024)

FAQs

What is the surprising history of ketchup? ›

Ketchup has a surprisingly long evolution that originated in China. The first version was based on pickled fish and looked more like a soy sauce – with a dark and thin texture. It was called “keh-jup” or “koe-cheup,” meaning “fish sauce.”

Many are averse to not just certain flavors but also certain textures. Along these lines, covering everything in ketchup might be your son's way of tolerating foods that he simply doesn't like for whatever reason. It might also be that your son tried new foods for the first time by dipping them in ketchup.

Some foods are okay, but I would never ever EVER put ketchup on things like macaroni and cheese or tacos. The people who put ketchup on everything are crazy and sickos. Some foods that are ok with ketchup are hot dogs and hamburgers. Basically fast food.

Ketchup is a sweet and tangy condiment. It's made from pureed tomatoes and seasonings including garlic, onion, and allspice. Ketchup goes well as a topping for your comfort foods like hamburgers, hotdogs, and french fries. It's often associated with fast food, yet it's made from a highly nutritious food — tomatoes.

Tomato ketchup is often used as a condiment to dishes that are usually served hot and are fried or greasy: french fries and other potato dishes, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, hot sandwiches, meat pies, cooked eggs, and grilled or fried meat.

Ketchup was not invented in the United States. It began as a fermented fish sauce—sans tomatoes—in early China. British sailors bought the sauce, called ke-tsiapor ke-tchup by 17th-century Chinese and Indonesian traders, to provide relief from the dry and mundane hardtack and salt pork they ate aboard ship.

It was an American named James Mease who's credited with trying out the first tomato-based ketchup in 1812. Of course, he referred to the tomato as the "love apple," given its supposed aphrodisiac properties.

Despite Heinz' stance, the United States Department of Agriculture says shelf-stable foods like ketchup do not require refrigeration. However, doing so "may decrease in freshness and quality (texture and color) if eaten months or years past the expiration date."

Ketchup as The Key Flavoring

Not surprisingly, Japanese cuisine has used ketchup in seasoning various dishes, as this all-star American condiment lends a depth of flavor with its sweet-tangy profile. Therefore, you can find ketchup used in Japanese Curry, Omurice, Ebi Chili, and a pasta dish like Spaghetti Napolitan.

According to experts, store-bought tomato ketchup is laced with several chemicals and preservatives, which are harmful in various ways. They are only used for enhancing the taste of ketchup. It contains high quantities of sugar, salt, fructose, preservatives and corn syrup.

Why can't you put ketchup on hotdogs? ›

But there may be some practical reasons why ketchup may not be an ideal condiment, from a flavor profile perspective. “Generally the reasoning behind it is just the sweetness of the ketchup,” said Eric Mittenthal, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council president. “It's just not an ideal complement to the hot dog.”

In reality, ketchup is extremely high in high fructose corn syrup, which can raise your blood sugar and ultimately lead to obesity, diabetes or heart disease. Plus, ketchup doesn't really have any nutritional value despite being made from tomatoes.

Ketchup and eggs make a ton of sense together; the sweetly acidic, savory nature of ketchup cuts through the decadent creaminess of eggs. “Ketchup is sweet and sour and has umami,” says Laura Hoang, chef de cuisine at Pearl River Deli in Los Angeles.

It is probably the only ingredient in the world to have all five taste sensations—sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami; all five tastes combined in the perfect proportions make for the most delicious taste experience. That's how a squirt of ketchup makes any bland food instantly palatable.

Food safety experts say that while ketchup is shelf-stable, it generally tastes better when kept cold. “I'm shocked there's a controversy,” said Martin Bucknavage, a food safety specialist at Penn State University. “If you want to maximize the quality of your ketchup, you keep it in the fridge.”

Brush the flesh of the potatoes with the butter, then season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Brush the ketchup over top. Top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and the edges of the potatoes are golden brown.