Ketchup is practically a staple in
every household. It is known in American
culture for its red color and the glass Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottle of which
“57 Varieties” is located on the neck. There may or may not be a trick to get
the ketchup out of the bottle with ease. For those of us which would rather not
struggle getting the ketchup out in a timely manner, there are now plastic
squeeze bottles from small to large sizes, ensuring that you have enough
ketchup to drown your fries in. No barbeque can be complete without ketchup to top
of any hamburger or hot dog. Ketchup has become a triple threat condiment, as
it is used across kitchen tables during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Due to
the ability of ketchup to make almost any veggie-burger taste good, I chose
ketchup for my food blog.
Despite the fact that ketchup
resides in 97% of American households, it has not always been what we know and
love today. From Chinese origin, ketchup was fish and anchovy based with
recipes dating as far back as 300 B.C. As more people were exposed to Ketchup
the recipe began to change. Different recipes consisted of various types of
fruits, nuts, mushrooms and fish. It was not until 1812 that tomato ketchup was
created. In 1876 Heinz picked began producing ketchup, creating the recipe that
is most commonly used today.
In comparison to other condiments
in nutritional value, ketchup is low in fat and calories per serving. Benefits
include Vitamin A and C. However ketchup is often criticized for high levels of
sodium and sugar. Some organic brands consist of ingredients that are healthier
than that of Heinz and other top brands. While ketchup is not extremely harmful
to health the general consensus is that it should be used in moderation.
Ketchup
is a cheap accessible condiment readily available to the general population.
While ketchup does not distinguish class, it is typically used on less
expensive foods and has a high presence in America’s fast food culture.
About Ketchup
http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/sleuth/0799/#axzz38mT8tYOI
Condiment History
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1673352/how-500-years-of-weird-condiment-history-designed-the-heinz-ketchup-bottle
Ketchup: A Saucy History
http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/ketchup-a-saucy-history
So here's the thing. If you ask any British person they will swear 1) ketchup is British, 2) Heinz is British. I think I know a bit about food and that was the first big surprise when I got to Pittsburgh. It's a real matter of pride to British ketchup users about getting it out of a glass bottle - there are hotly contested debates about the best way. And purists think the new squeezey bottle is a cheat! I remember my best friend at school going to shake the bottle really hard (that's how we did it) but my brother had not put the cap on. And a perfect arc flew across our high ceilinged Victorian kitchen. My mother went spare......
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