Are you a fan of tomato ketchup too?
What if I told you that the famous American sauce was not created in the United States at all?
Ketchup has not always been this sweet sauce that we dare to put in so many dishes. Recipe based on fermented fish, antidiarrheal then American condiment, I tell you about the many lives of tomato ketchup!
Despite what you might think, ketchup is not an invention of the Heinz company. In fact, the red sauce is native to Asia, it was called “ké tsiap” there. His recipe consisted of fish fermented in brine (very salty water which allowed the preservation of food).
British colonists discovered the sauce while searching the New World in the 16th century, but it wasn't until the 18th century that they brought it to England. They then adapted it to their taste with mushrooms, anchovies and shallots. And finally, we had to wait until the beginning of the 19th century to add tomatoes to the recipe!
- An anti-diarrheal medicine!
It is said that in 1834, a doctor named John Cooke Bennet, sold ketchup in pill form to cure diarrhea, jaundice and indigestion. Which worked very well! But charlatans saw it as a lucrative trade and lied about the benefits of the remedy. Customers, feeling betrayed, stopped buying them.
- Thank you Mr. Heinz!
It wasn't until the 1830s that the first bottled ketchup was sold. But it was Henry John Heinz who really popularized “tomato ketchup” in 1876. He added vinegar and sugar to the recipe to sweeten the taste. It was a worldwide success!
Today, 1.8 million bottles are sold worldwide every day!
