# "The Ketchup Conundrum" All about mustard & ketchup. Terrific article by M. Gladwell!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ketchup-conundrum-all-about-mustard-ketchup-terrific-article-by-m-gladwell/284503>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 13, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ketchup-conundrum-all-about-mustard-ketchup-terrific-article-by-m-gladwell/284503 "2005-01-13T04:23:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ketchup-conundrum-all-about-mustard-ketchup-terrific-article-by-m-gladwell/284503/1 "2005-01-13T04:23:29Z")

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Very interesting article!

[TASTE TECHNOLOGIES  
The Ketchup Conundrum  
Mustard now comes in dozens of varieties. Why has ketchup stayed the same](http://gladwell.com/2004/2004_09_06_a_ketchup.html)?

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ketchup-conundrum-all-about-mustard-ketchup-terrific-article-by-m-gladwell/284503/2 "2005-01-13T07:45:55Z")

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I enjoyed it. Which for me is saying a lot - I hate ketchup and barely allow it in the house, but the kids demand it.

Now, I suppose, I have a bit of grudging respect for this apparently perfectly-balanced condiment…but it still tastes like tomatoes and sugar to me.

That whole Food issue of the New Yorker was great - great article by Bill Buford (?) about working the pasta station at Mario Batali’s (?) restaurant and the history of Italian cuisine, and a few other great articles, too…

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**Author:** ![Terrorcotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@Terrorcotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrorcotta)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ketchup-conundrum-all-about-mustard-ketchup-terrific-article-by-m-gladwell/284503/3 "2005-01-13T14:03:12Z")

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Thanks astro! That was fascinating! I always enjoy this kind of half science/half marketing sort of article, especially about food. But then, I always enjoy the inside view on marketing strategy on a professional level.

The contemporary history of ketchup was illunimating.

Excuse me, I gotta get me some o’ them umami…