Here’s what it is:
n. A condiment consisting of a thick, smooth-textured, spicy sauce usually made from tomatoes.
Where the heck did it get it’s name?
“Word History: The word ketchup exemplifies the types of modifications that can take place in borrowing both of words and substances. The source of our word ketchup may be the Malay word kēchap, possibly taken into Malay from the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. Kēchap, like ketchup, was a sauce, but one without tomatoes; rather, it contained fish brine, herbs, and spices. Sailors seem to have brought the sauce to Europe, where it was made with locally available ingredients such as the juice of mushrooms or walnuts. At some unknown point, when the juice of tomatoes was first used, ketchup as we know it was born. But it is important to realize that in the 18th and 19th centuries ketchup was a generic term for sauces whose only common ingredient was vinegar. The word is first recorded in English in 1690 in the form catchup, in 1711 in the form ketchup, and in 1730 in the form catsup. All three spelling variants of this foreign borrowing remain current.”
So now I’m curious, What exactly is “in” my bottle of ketchup?
Here are the ingredients that are in the bottle located in my fridge:
Tomato concentrate (water and tomato paste), high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, (uh-oh Dr. Oz will not be happy), vinegar, salt, onion powder, spice and natural flavoring.
HUH…there ya go, a lesson about ketchup (that is how it is spelled on my bottle).
Comments:
stacie said…
very interesting Jodi! Thanks for the tid bit of info! You are my encyclopedia! Thanks!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 8:47:37 AM
Anne said…
Thanks for the information! See, you learn something new everyday!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:02:00 AM
jana said…
wow you are always full of knowledge thanks for sharing!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 11:49:05 AM
Steph said…
I knew it, I was spelling it wrong all this time. Opus had ketchup for dinner last night he by-passed the fries.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 2:44:23 PM
John said…
Thanks for the lesson. Next Week is Mustard.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 5:31:09 PM
Aunt Susan said…
what about catchup? That’s what you all make me feel that I have to do!! Love to all,
Thursday, April 03, 2008 9:02:39 AM