The real question is why is there only one style of ketchup. If I want mustard, there’s Dijon, Brown, Spicy, Yellow, honey, stone ground, Chinese, and shelf after shelf of jars of various varieties. With ketchup, there’s Heinz and brands that pretend to be Heinz.
So, the real question isn’t why doesn’t ketchup belong on hotdogs, but why isn’t there a ketchup that can go on hotdogs? If you’re over the age of five Heinz ketchup is too sweet for almost anything even burgers or fries. Why hasn’t a company taken advantage of this underserve sector and develop a line of ketchups that are tailored made to a variety of foods?
I use homemade ketchup, no sugar added because I make it myself. Great on hotdogs, french fries, hamburgers. As for commercial varieties, no even the sugar free use a lot of other sweeteners.
I try and keep sugar out of my diet as much as possible, I make my own tomato sauce, etc because manufactures tend to add sugar as a shortcut to flavor, and to cover up flavor differences. They are more worried about how consistence the produce is and how it will keep than flavor. Same thing for most produce you buy too, how it ships and how it looks is more important than flavor. Which is why I grow as much as I can and use older varieties that are ugly to look at but taste great.
There are lots of ketchups in the UK. Off the top of my head, you can get chilli ketchup, curry ketchup, Worcestershire sauce ketchup, reduced sugar ketchup, and Reggae Reggae ketchup.
There are also non-tomato ketchups like mushroom ketchup (which is a divine umami blast) and the Indonesian sauce ketjap manis.
Thanks for the pointer to that article. I noticed this quote:
That’s not considered true any more. We don’t have specialized areas on the tongue tuned to different flavors. The old tongue maps are simply not correct. Just want to point out that it wasn’t Malcom Gladwell who said that, so it’s not his fault.
The article pointed out why Heinz might be the perfect ketchup, but it also pointed out several potential weaknesses: Kids are the biggest market for ketchup which means they stop using it as they get older. This is probably due to its overwhelmingly strong, sweet flavor. Kids like Cap’n Crunch too.
The other is that Gladwell stated that Wigin’s the World’s Best Ketchup might go good on catfish, but wasn’t well flavored for fries.
Maybe the trick would be to create a wide variety of ketchups based upon the product. For example, a french fry ketchup might be more Heinz-like while one for hotdogs and burgers may have a stronger tomato flavor and less sweetness. Put out five varieties: Meat, fish, chicken, classic, spicy.
I just wish I could get a fully-dressed Chicago dog right now where I live. What passes for a hot dog “with everything” here is grilled with grilled chopped onions + sweet relish + yellow mustard. Ketchup must be “requested.” (And doesn’t look “recommended” by any means.)
Optional add-ons include bacon, kraut, a wimpy chili sauce, hot mustard, hot relish. And they cost more. Sad.
God damnit Mr. Adams. Way to ruin ketchup for me. I want to disagree, but the logic is flawless. I love ketchup, but i guess you can sum that up as and “Un-refined pallette”
not entirely. in fact, not even close. ketchup originated in China and was known as ke-tsiap. it was very similar to a condiment used in the west (Garum) dating back to Rome’s dominance and which eventually evolved into worcestershire. BOTH originated as a sauce derived from salted fish. the best discussion i know of is in Mark Kurlansly’s SALT: A World History, one of the most fascinating books i have read in years.
Cece is right in condemning those who foul good sausage with catsup, ketchup or whatever name you want to give it. any parent the uses catsup in home with anyone under the age of 16 should be arrested for child abuse. the little dickenses grow up to like thinks kile Skippy peanut butter. I am no anti-sugar fantatic. it has its place… but that place is as far from a good hot as any epicure can manage to move it.
but… ya know… relish? who knows of a commercial pickle relish that is not laden with sugar also.
mustard, preferably a good, zingy grain mustard. grilled onion. slaw is good, if hecho a mano y con no azucar. and anyone that cannot appreciate a dog with kraut (also a subject dealt with at length in m. Kurlansky’s fine book) must be some sorta subversive.
Gladwell’s article was not about the history of the word ketchup, which as you note came from a Chinese sauce, but about the current condiment known as ketchup, which bears practically no resemblance to that Chinese sauce.
