# Unsweet Ketchup in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181 "2015-10-01T22:51:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/21 "2015-10-05T03:33:09Z")
Whole Foods has a variety of ketchups. I haven’t bought any but I’m sure at least one of them has no sugar added. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/22 "2015-10-05T03:40:18Z")
These guys make some great [ketchup](http://elevationgourmet.com/store). They claim to use a recipe from the 1800s so that should give you the low sugar taste you remember. It’s definitely my favorite brand right now. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/23 "2015-10-05T04:52:50Z")
Heinz Chili Sauce is ketchup with less sweetness and a little more zip. Try it. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/24 "2015-10-05T05:43:38Z")
I’m curious what the appeal of ketchup is, let alone less sweet? Is it a comforting texture or something? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/25 "2015-10-05T13:13:58Z")
I’m absolutely certain that ketchup hasn’t changed, just my palate. Because I thought ketchup wasn’t as sweet in the mid 1990s. I’m sure that, if we ask the rest of you, the year will be different. I do agree that it would be nice to find a ketchup that would match my memories of what it tasted like in childhood, though. I can’t stand the stuff now. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/26 "2015-10-05T13:14:59Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I’m curious what the appeal of ketchup is, let alone less sweet? Is it a comforting texture or something? Um… it’s a fairly strong tomato-ey flavor you can add to most foods at the table. Does it require further justification or explanation? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/27 "2015-10-05T13:39:27Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > These guys make some great [ketchup](http://elevationgourmet.com/store). They claim to use a recipe from the 1800s so that should give you the low sugar taste you remember. It’s definitely my favorite brand right now. Looking at the nutrition info: Regular Heinz ketchup: 4g sugar per 17g serving Heinz reduced sugar ketchup, 1g sugar per 16g serving (although Sucralose is added) Elevation organic ketchup, 2g sugar per 17g serving ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/28 "2015-10-05T13:40:46Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Um… it’s a fairly strong tomato-ey flavor you can add to most foods at the table. Does it require further justification or explanation? Apparently, yes. I, for one, do not appreciate it. My friends think Im odd but most of us have one food oddity or another. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/29 "2015-10-05T13:49:28Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Apparently, yes. > > I, for one, do not appreciate it. My friends think Im odd but most of us have one food oddity or another. If you want a more detailed explanation, tomatoes are full of glutamates, which give foods a savory/umami flavor. Add to that the vinegar tang, sweetness, and salt, and you’re hitting four of the five major flavors: sweet, sour, salt, savory. So it’s a quick & easy “flavor enhancer.” ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/30 "2015-10-05T14:00:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you want a more detailed explanation, tomatoes are full of glutamates, which give foods a savory/umami flavor. Add to that the vinegar tang, sweetness, and salt, and you’re hitting four of the five major flavors: sweet, sour, salt, savory. So it’s a quick & easy “flavor enhancer.” Thats the perfect reply to actualliberalnotoneofthose’s query. And makes me want to rethink ketsup. I just dont like the idea of sugar in it…similarly I dont like kettle corn cause I dont want sugar in my popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/31 "2015-10-05T14:04:38Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > similarly I dont like kettle corn cause I dont want sugar in my popcorn. That doesn’t make you weird, but it does put you in a relative minority. Many folks do enjoy some combination of sweet/salty, which is why kettle corn is popular. I’m the kind of person who will add ketchup to just about any savory dish. I’m diabetic so I buy the Heinz reduced sugar brand. I know it has sucralose, but to my tastes it is a bit less sweet than the regular stuff. If there was a brand of ketchup that had the same level of sugar (1g/serving) but without the artificial sweetener, I’d totally try it. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/32 "2015-10-05T14:28:44Z")
[Whataburger’s ketchup](http://shop.whataburger.com/fancy-ketchup-3-pack/)isn’t dominated by sweetness. To me, the 3 main flavors are vinegary, tomatoey and sugary in that order, while Heinz/Hunt’s are sugary, tomatoey and vinegary in that order. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/33 "2015-10-05T17:41:02Z")
Isn’t ketchup without sugar basically salsa? I’d be okay substituting a nice salsa cruda or cooked salsa almost anywhere I use ketchup (except on top of meatloaf–I want that sweet crust). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/34 "2015-10-05T17:54:47Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Apparently, yes. > > I, for one, do not appreciate it. My friends think Im odd but most of us have one food oddity or another. Not liking or “not appreciating” something is not quite the same as asking what the appeal is, and suggesting it’s the texture. Lots of people don’t like or don’t eat ketchup. (My mother never did, but then she worked in a cannery for a few years and saw what went into it ca. 1950.) That’s not quite what **actual** ’s question seemed to be. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/35 "2015-10-05T17:58:02Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Um… it’s a fairly strong tomato-ey flavor you can add to most foods at the table. Does it require further justification or explanation? Not very strong at all to my mind. I grew up with chili sauce instead of ketchup. I never even had ketchup until I started school. Ketchup is fine for french fries, tater tots, onion rings, and school fish\*. Other than that, bring me my mustard! I’d rather have picante sauce or taco sauce most of the time. Chili sauce for seafood. If I do have ketchup, it’s Whataburger spicy ketchup. Salad dressings have always had sugar of some sort in them. Except straight oil and vinegar. I’d be interested in seeing some labels that show otherwise. Vinegar is such a strong condiment that it almost always has to be tempered somehow. \*school fish: those orange squares that they put on a bun every Friday in the school cafeteria. Those NEED ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/36 "2015-10-05T18:00:02Z")
> [@RickG](#): > > Isn’t ketchup without sugar basically salsa? I’d be okay substituting a nice salsa cruda or cooked salsa almost anywhere I use ketchup (except on top of meatloaf–I want that sweet crust). Nope. Plenty of salsas are made with sugar. The difference is that they’re also made with a bunch of other ingredients, like onions, cilantro, peppers of various stripes, and lime juice. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/37 "2015-10-05T18:01:29Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > Not very strong at all to my mind. Sorry, the modifiers may not have connected very well. I meant “strong tomato flavor.” not “strong flavor, something like tomatoes.” Ketchup is a pretty mild sauce overall, yes. The umami component may be more significant for most palates than the tomato (or sugary) part. I’m not as adamant about disliking the sweetish component of ketchup’s taste, but I do tend towards things like sriracha ketchup and various spicy/hot mustards over the usual stuff. Hot mustard and pickled jalapenos on a burger are a must. ---
**Author:** ![PlumBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PlumBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlumBob)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/38 "2015-10-05T18:04:41Z")
It’s not ketchup but it works for me, basically tomato sauce in a handy container. [http://www.contadina.com/products/pizza-squeeze.html](http://www.contadina.com/products/pizza-squeeze.html) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/39 "2015-10-05T18:19:54Z")
> [@RickG](#): > > Isn’t ketchup without sugar basically salsa? I’d be okay substituting a nice salsa cruda or cooked salsa almost anywhere I use ketchup (except on top of meatloaf–I want that sweet crust). Not really in any real meaningful sense. At least, not any more than “marinara” is ketchup. You can sub salsa for ketchup in a lot of places, that is true, but, aside from the tomato component (which many salsas actually don’t have), they’re different enough. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181/40 "2015-10-05T18:47:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Looking at the nutrition info: > Regular Heinz ketchup: 4g sugar per 17g serving > Heinz reduced sugar ketchup, 1g sugar per 16g serving (although Sucralose is added) > Elevation organic ketchup, 2g sugar per 17g serving Trader Joe’s ketchup is also 2g suger per 17g serving. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsweet-ketchup-in-the-us/733181.md?page=3)