Ketchup/catsup. What's your take?

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

The spelling of the word ketchup/catsup is one of my greatest stresses in life. I really have no idea which spelling to use.

Think the bolded part at the end may help you.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/29649...hup-and-catsup

Ketchup and catsup are simply two different spellings for the same thing, a modern, Westernized version of a condiment that European traders were introduced to while visiting the Far East in the late 17th century. What exactly that condiment was and where they found it is a matter of debate.

It could have been ke-chiap from China's southern coastal Fujian region or it could have been kicap (a Malay word borrowed from the Cantonese dialect of Chinese, also spelled kecapand ketjap) from Indonesia, both of which are sauces based on brined or pickled fish or shellfish, herbs and spices. Whatever it was, the Europeans liked it, and as early 1690, they brought it back home with them, calling it catchup.

The early Western versions of the sauce - which, starting in 1711, was sometimes called ketchup, another Anglicization of the Malay name popularized in the book An Account of Trade in India - were pretty faithful to the original Eastern ones, with one of the earliest recipes published in England (1727) calling for anchovies, shallots, vinegar, white wine, cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg, pepper and lemon peel. It wasn't until almost a century later that tomatoes found their way into the sauce, in a recipe in an American cook book published in 1801. In the meantime, another alternative spelling popped up, mentioned in a 1730 Jonathan Swift poem: "And, for our home-bred British cheer, Botargo [a fish roe-based relish], catsup, and caveer [caviar]."

The tomato-based version of ketchup quickly caught on in the U.S. during the first few decades of the 19th century. At first, it was made and locally sold by farmers, but by 1837 at least one company was producing and distributing it on a national scale. The H. J. Heinz Company, a name that's synonymous with ketchup for most people today, was a relative latecomer to the game and didn't produce a tomato-based ketchup until 1876. They originally referred to their product as catsup, but switched to ketchup in the 1880s to stand out. Eventually, ketchup became the standard spelling in the industry and among consumers, though you can still find catsup strongholds sprinkled across the U.S.

[Stewie]

Ketchup is pretty low on my list, but I'm not a sweet tooth... as in, I also just tried those King Hawaiian rolls. It's like they dumped a bunch of sugar in a Wonder Bread recipe.

[TimBone]

I'm interested in this Simple Truth Organic. Is it widely available, or am I going to have to hit up a Whole Foods or something similar?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Flybone McTimmerson

I'm interested in this Simple Truth Organic. Is it widely available, or am I going to have to hit up a Whole Foods or something similar?

It's a Kroger brand, so I would imagine it's available at any of their grocery store chains.

[TimBone]

Originally Posted by Donger

It's a Kroger brand, so I would imagine it's available at any of their grocery store chains.

Thanks.

[Predarat]

Heinz Glass is the best. love it for Dogs and Burgers.

[gblowfish]

Technically, I think "Ketchup" and "Catsup" are not exactly the identical thing. Catsup is usually spicier.
But I've seen Brooks label their stuff both "Ketchup" and "Catsup."

Heinz and Hunt's make Ketchup
Brooks makes Catsup.
http://www.catsupbottle.com/

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Technically, I think "Ketchup" and "Catsup" are not exactly the identical thing. Catsup is usually spicier.
But I've seen Brooks label their stuff both "Ketchup" and "Catsup."

Heinz and Hunt's make Ketchup
Brooks makes Catsup.
http://www.catsupbottle.com/

Google is telling me they are 2 words for the same thing.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by BCD

Google is telling me they are 2 words for the same thing.

What the hell does Google know about ketchup!??

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

What the hell does Google know about ketchup!??

Well, not actually Google, but the sites it showed me.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by BCD

Well, not actually Google, but the sites it showed me.

You say tomato,
I say tomatoh....

[blaise]

I really only put it on french fries, and even then not often. Once every few years I'll put it on a burger.
The brand I buy for my kids is either Hunts or the organic brand. Heinz just seems gross to me.

My wife gets mad at me because whenever I get it out of the fridge I do the Mr. Burns, "ketchup..catsup...ketchup...catsup," thing. And now my kids do it.

[BigMeatballDave]

http://www.foodiggity.com/ketchup-vs-catsup/

[sedated]

Hunt’s guy all the way. Just tastes better IMHO.

[sedated]

A place nearby me has jars of chipotle ketchup on the tables. I could eat that shit with a spoon.