Pittsburg is the headquarters of H.J. Heinz Company that was founded about 125 years ago. I\u2019ve heard it said that Pennsylvania is where ketchup was invented (and by Herr Heinz.)
But \u2014 my extensive research says that\u2019s not so \u2014 It\u2019s not even close\u2026. well, actually Pennsylvania does get the credit for tomato<\/em> ketchup, but now I\u2019m spoiling the story\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope you\u2019re ready for this \u2014 the ancestor of modern ketchup was completely tomato-free. Actually, the precursor to what we call ketchup was a fermented fish sauce from (where else?) China!. As far back as 300 B.C., texts began documenting the use of fermented pastes made from fish intestines, meat byproducts and soybeans. The fish sauce \u2014 called \u201cge-thcup\u201d of \u201ckoe-cheup\u201d by speakers of the Southern Chinese Min dialect, was easy to store on long ocean voyages.
The pastes or sauces spread along the trade routes to Indonesia and the Philippines, where British traders, in particular, developed a taste for the salty condiment. They took samples home and promptly corrupted the original recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the 18th century, cookbooks featured recipes for ketchups made of oysters, mussels, mushrooms, walnuts, lemons, celery and even fruits like plums and peaches. Usually, the ingredients were either boiled down into a syrup\u2014like consistency or left to sit with salt for extended periods of time. Both these processes led to a highly concentrated end product \u2014 with a salty, spicy flavor that could last for a long time without going bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, in 1812, the first recipe for tomato-based ketchup was invented. James Mease, a Philadelphia scientist, is credited with developing the recipe. He wrote that the choicest ketchup came from \u201clove apples.\u201d That was what tomatoes used to be called \u2014 some believed they had aphrodisiac powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/jimmy.ekota.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Ketchup.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBefore vinegar became a standard ingredient, preservation of tomato-based sauces was an issue, as the fruits would quickly decompose. A relatively new company called Heinz introduced its famous formulation in 1876, which contained tomatoes, distilled vinegar, brown sugar, salt and various spices. They also pioneered the use of glass bottles, so customers could see what they were buying.
Tomato-based ketchup slowly became the ubiquitous form of the condiment in the U.S. and Europe. Today Heinz is the best selling brand of ketchup in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Foxworthy said you might be a redneck if your only condiment on the dining room table is the economy size bottle of ketchup \u2014 but if it is, you can be sure it\u2019s bright red and made with tomatoes.
\u2014 30 \u2014
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When our daughter, Kelly, was little, she wouldn\u2019t eat anything if it didn\u2019t have ketchup on it. For years, a friend of ours always gave Kelly something for Christmas or her birthday that was in some way related to ketchup. … Continue reading