History of Ketchup and Its Role in Foods

 

Tomato ketchup is a popular addition to a variety of dishes. The product acts as a sauce and goes well with all food. Its main components include tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and spices, but not everyone knows about the origin of ketchup and that it was originally a dish without tomatoes. It has gone through many changes before becoming a part of almost everyone’s life.

Definition and History of Ketchup

There are many different theories about the origin of the word “ketchup.” Back in the 19th century, there was an assumption that the word “ketchup” came from Malaysian. However, in Malaysian cookbooks, this term is referred to as Chinese. It is also consistent with the most popular theory that the word “ketchup” originated in China. The Oxford English Dictionary states that the word “ketchup” can be anglicized to “ke-tsiap” (Ketchup). The term comes from the Xiamen dialect of China and describes the liquid of fermented fish. In addition, there is a theory about the origin of the word “ketchup,” which comes from the Indonesian word “kekap,” which means a simple sauce but is mainly used for black soy sauce (Ketchup). Thus, ketchup comes from Asia; earlier, it was prepared from fish, vinegar, and spices. English merchants were introduced to this sauce in Asia in the late 17th century when the word “ketchup” came to the West and was first mentioned in the dictionary. It has been translated as “high East Indian sauce,” that is, fine East Indian sauce.

First Modern Recipe

Ketchup became more and more popular in England, and its recipes could be found in all cookbooks. It consisted of red beans, vegetables, mushrooms, walnuts, and fish. That also made it famous in the US, where it was first made from tomatoes (Rees 78). There it was also made in various ways in almost all households. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that ketchup began to be produced as a by-product in the production of canned tomatoes.

The first known recipe for tomato ketchup was published by market gardener James Mees in 1812 and became popular around 1830. However, at that time, tomato ketchup was considered inedible and even dangerous to health. It was mainly due to the preservatives it contains, such as coal tar and sodium benzoate, and bacteria and spores, that are harmful for people (Sahu and Bala 755). However, as it is known today, ketchup was invented by Henry John Heinz in the late 19th century.

Popularity and Development of the Ketchup Industry

Heinz started his grocery business in 1869, and seven years later, he went into the ketchup business, becoming one of the many ketchup makers; in 1900, his company became the market leader. Ketchup used to be thinner and bitterer than it is today. The recipe was later changed to use fully ripened tomatoes for production. In 1905, about 5 million ketchup bottles were produced, and a year later – about 12 million bottles (Hoenig 78). The new recipe increased sales significantly, and the sauce became more accessible.

A modified ketchup recipe, which is now widely used, appeared at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States due to a discussion about the need to use the preservative sodium benzoate. Industrialists, notably Henry J. Heinz, produced ketchup based on thick tomato paste obtained by unheated vacuum evaporation (Stowell and Kawar 4). Unlike unevaporated tomato juice, pasta can be stored for a long time at room temperature. Over time, density has become a property of ketchup in itself, and to achieve it, some manufacturers add starch. Before Heinz, commercial tomato ketchup of the day was watery and runny due partly to the use of unripe, low-pectin tomatoes. They contained less vinegar than modern ketchup; pickling ripe tomatoes eliminated the need for benzoate without spoiling or degrading the flavor (Stowell and Kawar 4). Changes are driven by the desire to eliminate benzoate also led to changes that some experts say were key to making tomato ketchup the dominant American condiment.

Recipe Improvements

For industrial production, tomato paste is fed into a cauldron with spices, sugar, and vinegar, mixed and heated. All ingredients are finely distributed and ground to the desired consistency (Hoenig 130). Further processing can occur either cold under a vacuum or hot in a colloid mill. After a colloid mill, large ingredients are mixed with ketchup in a buffer tank using a stirrer and then poured cold or hot under a vacuum. Cold foods are often made to preserve sorbic and benzoic acid (Sahu and Bala 755). After heating, the product passes through a vacuum deaeration system and is hot-filled into cans or, after cooling to approximately 70°C, into pails.

In ketchup, nanoparticles can be used as a thickening agent and added to some types of industrial ketchup without special labeling. Silicon dioxide is used here to thicken the ketchup. Ketchup can be prepared at home quickly from products that can be stored for a long time. In the simplest case, equal parts of tomato paste and honey are mixed into a paste seasoned with vinegar and salt and brought to the desired consistency by adding water.

Current Situation

In Europe and the USA today, there are mainly three types of ketchup: tomato ketchup, spice ketchup, and curry ketchup. Tomatoes are the basis for all types of ketchup commercially available today; however, tomato ketchup is the main ingredient. Tomato ketchup is the most common, accounting for 70 percent of the total supply (Hoenig 20). Tomato ketchup consists of tomato paste, sugar – usually in the form of sucrose or a mixture of sucrose and other types of sugar – vinegar, salt, onion, garlic, spices, and additives flavorings.

The addition of thickeners, starches, and preservatives is permitted by law. According to the directive, the dry matter content of tomatoes must be at least seven percent, which corresponds to a tomato paste content of at least 25 percent (Hoenig 61). However, this guide only applies to tomato ketchup; recipes for specialty ketchup products such as curry ketchup are left to the manufacturers themselves. The spiced ketchup variety includes all types of ketchup whose ingredients go beyond regular tomato ketchup, such as those with cucumbers, peppers, or chili peppers. Spice kinds of ketchup also often contain many additives, as does the basic recipe with the addition of curry spices.

Conclusion

There are different theories about the origin of ketchup, but initially, it had nothing to do with tomatoes. The popular spice sauce has been around for centuries, but not in the form we know it today. The original ketchup came from the eastern region and had nothing to do with tomatoes. Today, different types of ketchup are known, namely tomato ketchup, which is the most common in Europe at almost 70%. Spiced ketchup is spicier and sometimes contains cucumbers, onions, or peppers. However, it often contains many additives, such as flavors and flavor enhancers. Curry ketchup makes up about 20% of ketchup in Europe and is about on par with spice ketchup in terms of popularity. As a rule, in the food industry, the price of a product correlates with its quality, which means that the preference for low-cost ketchup can harm the health of a person and those around him.