Back in the mid-1700s, England was obsessed with ketchup. It was a must-have in many dishes, from stews to desserts. But this ketchup wasn’t the tomato-based sauce we know today. Instead, it was a sweet and savory brown sauce that didn’t even have tomatoes in it!
To understand how ketchup came to be, we need to look at its close relative: fish sauce. As far back as 300 BCE, Chinese fishermen were catching more fish than they could eat or preserve. So, they salted the fish and let them ferment over time, creating a salty liquid known as fish sauce.
The Chinese weren’t the only ones who loved this savory seasoning. The Ancient Greeks and Romans also used fish sauce, which they called garum, in their cooking. It was so popular that the Romans set up factories to produce it across the Mediterranean.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, fish sauce disappeared from European kitchens for a long time. But in the early 1600s, the Dutch East India Company brought it back from Southeast Asia. The sauce, known as “ke-tsiap” or “koe-cheup,” was renamed ketchup when it reached British shores.
When European ships were no longer allowed in Asian trade hubs in the mid-1700s, people didn’t want to give up ketchup. British cookbooks started featuring recipes for ketchup made with oysters, anchovies, mushrooms, and walnuts. This led to the creation of other famous sauces like Worcestershire sauce.
Across the ocean in America, chefs began experimenting with tomatoes. In 1812, James Mease from Philadelphia created the first tomato-based ketchup. It was a mix of tomato pulp, spices, shallots, and brandy. Although different from fish sauce, tomatoes have glutamate, which gives them a similar rich flavor.
By the late 1800s, bottled foods were becoming popular, and tomato ketchup was a hit. Companies started adding sugar, salt, and preservatives to make it last longer. But the biggest change came from Henry J. Heinz, who used ripe tomatoes and vinegar instead of preservatives, creating a thick and tasty ketchup.
Throughout the 20th century, ketchup became a global favorite, especially with American foods. Today, 90% of American homes have ketchup, and Heinz’s recipe has inspired many other sauces and dressings. It’s amazing how this simple sauce has traveled and transformed over the centuries!
Imagine you are a chef in the 1700s trying to create a new ketchup recipe. Use ingredients available during that time, such as mushrooms, walnuts, or anchovies. Write down your recipe and explain why you chose those ingredients. Share your creation with the class and discuss how it might taste.
Create a timeline that traces the history of ketchup from its origins as fish sauce to the modern tomato-based version. Include key events and changes in ingredients. Use drawings or images to make your timeline visually appealing. Present your timeline to the class and explain the major milestones.
Research how ketchup is used in different countries today. Find out if there are any unique variations or recipes that incorporate ketchup in local cuisines. Prepare a short presentation or poster to share your findings with the class, highlighting the global influence of ketchup.
Divide into two groups: one supporting traditional ketchup recipes (without tomatoes) and the other supporting modern tomato ketchup. Prepare arguments for why your version is superior, considering taste, versatility, and historical significance. Hold a debate in class and see which side can convince more classmates.
Design a creative advertisement for ketchup, either from the past or present. Think about what makes ketchup appealing and how you can convey that in your ad. Use drawings, slogans, and persuasive language. Share your advertisement with the class and explain your design choices.
In the mid-18th century, England had a strong fascination with ketchup. The sauce was a staple, and numerous cookbooks encouraged its use in stews, vegetables, and even desserts. If these seem like unusual places for ketchup’s tangy flavor, it’s because this early version wasn’t the familiar red condiment we know today. In fact, this sweet and savory brown sauce didn’t even contain tomatoes.
So, where did this early ketchup originate, and how did it evolve into the dip we enjoy today? To answer these questions, we need to look at ketchup’s condiment cousin: fish sauce. As early as 300 BCE, Chinese fishermen would catch small fish that were too plentiful to consume all at once but too time-consuming to preserve individually. As a result, the day’s catch would often be salted and stored together. Over several months, the fish would ferment, producing a rich, salty liquid that was strained and stored as fish sauce.
Chinese fishermen weren’t the only ones to discover this savory seasoning. The Ancient Greeks, and later the Romans who conquered them, built their cuisine around the strong umami flavor of fish sauce. Known as garum, this sauce traveled with soldiers throughout the Roman Empire, and numerous fish sauce factories were established across the Mediterranean, each capable of producing thousands of gallons.
However, when the Roman Empire collapsed, so did their condiment industry. Most Europeans continued to cook without fish sauce for a thousand years until the Dutch East India Company arrived in Southeast Asia in the early 1600s. The Dutch and English exploited this region for various goods, including barrels of their common local condiment. This familiar fishy liquid had many names, including “ke-tsiap” and “koe-cheup.” Upon arrival in British ports, its name was adapted to ketchup, marking the beginning of Europe’s renewed interest in fish sauce.
European ships supplied ketchup throughout the Western Hemisphere until they were excluded from Asian trade hubs in the mid-1700s. However, the public was unwilling to let ketchup fade away like garum. A wave of British cookbooks emerged with recipes for alternative ketchups, incorporating ingredients like oysters, anchovies, mushrooms, and walnuts. Soon, ketchup became a general term for any brown sauce, leading to the creation of some of England’s most enduring condiments, including Worcestershire sauce, A1, and HP sauce.
Across the Atlantic, American chefs were experimenting with tomatoes, which varied in popularity throughout Europe. In 1812, Philadelphian physician and food enthusiast James Mease introduced the first tomato-based ketchup—a thin mixture of tomato pulp, spices, raw shallots, and brandy. This was quite different from fish sauce, but tomatoes contain high levels of glutamate, the same compound responsible for fish sauce’s rich umami flavor. Mease’s timing was ideal, as the latter half of the 1800s saw a rise in bottled foods, and tomato ketchup was embraced by several emerging bottling companies.
By the 1870s, most tomato ketchups had replaced shallots and brandy with sugar, salt, and sodium benzoate—a preservative commonly found in bottled foods. However, the most significant change to this recipe was yet to come. After initially selling pickled vegetables, Henry J. Heinz began offering a wide variety of popular ketchups. At the turn of the 20th century, his commitment to using healthier, natural ingredients led him to replace sodium benzoate with riper tomatoes and a substantial amount of vinegar. The resulting thick, rich formula became an instant bestseller, despite being more challenging to dispense from the bottle.
Throughout the 20th century, this salty red sauce spread worldwide, pairing perfectly with the ambassadors of American cuisine. Today, 90% of American households have ketchup in their kitchens, and Heinz’s recipe has even become the foundation for numerous other sauces and dressings—all descendants of the same flavorful lineage.
Ketchup – A thick, red sauce made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and spices, commonly used as a condiment. – Ketchup became popular in America in the 19th century as a convenient way to add flavor to meals.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – The history of ancient civilizations like Egypt and Mesopotamia is fascinating and full of mysteries.
Sauce – A liquid or semi-liquid substance served with food to add moisture and flavor. – In ancient Rome, a popular sauce called garum was made from fermented fish and used to enhance the taste of dishes.
Tomatoes – A red or yellowish fruit with a juicy pulp, used as a vegetable in cooking. – Tomatoes were first cultivated by the Aztecs and later brought to Europe by Spanish explorers.
Fish – A cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrate animal with gills and fins, often used as a food source. – Fish were a staple in the diet of ancient coastal civilizations due to their abundance in the sea.
Ancient – Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence. – The ancient pyramids of Egypt are one of the most remarkable architectural achievements in history.
Europe – A continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. – During the Renaissance, Europe experienced a revival of art, culture, and science.
Ingredients – Any of the foods or substances that are combined to make a particular dish. – The ingredients for traditional ketchup included tomatoes, vinegar, and spices.
Flavors – The distinctive taste of a food or drink. – Ancient cooks often used herbs and spices to create unique flavors in their dishes.
America – A continent in the Western Hemisphere, consisting of North, Central, and South America. – The discovery of America by Europeans in 1492 led to significant cultural exchanges and historical events.
