The Fishy Origins of Ketchup
Transcript
Ketchup.
So American, it’s basically the red in red, white, and blue, right?
And that red clearly is from the tomatoes the ketchup is made from.
Yum!
But that wasn’t always the case.
The first recorded recipe for ketchup comes from China.
And for more than a thousand years it wasn’t even made with tomatoes.
It was made with fish guts.
Eww!
Fish intestines, bladder, and stomach all mixed together with salt, then sealed and heated in the hot summer sun for 20 days.
That was the original ketchup.
A fermented fish paste that dates back to 6th century China.
It was popular throughout Southeast Asia and British and Dutch settlers who arrived in the 1600s loved the stuff.
Over time, they brought ketchup home to Europe and added their own modifications including beer, mushrooms, walnuts, oysters, strawberries and peaches.
By the mid-1700s, English ketchup was a mainstay on British dinner tables and as colonists went west, it soon made its way across the pond.
That’s where tomatoes come in.
They’re native to the Americas.
And it’s rumored Europeans once believed they were poisonous but poisonous, they were not.
In 1812, a Philadelphia horticulturalist and scientist by the name of James Mease introduced tomatoes into the mix.
He published a tomato ketchup recipe that was the beginning of a new crimson era.
From there, many different iterations were concocted and by the end of the 18th century, The New York Tribune called tomato ketchup America’s national condiment that was on every table in the land.
Which brings us back to this.
Tomato ketchup is here to stay.
And I, for one, don’t miss the fish guts.
Vocabulary List
gut
(noun) the long tube that runs from the mouth to the anus, through which food passes
seal
(verb) to close tightly, especially with a piece of adhesive material
fermented
(adjective) produced by fermentation
paste
(noun) a thick, sticky substance made by mixing flour and water or another liquid
date back
(verb) to have existed or originated in a particular time or period
settler
(noun) a person who moves to a new country or region to live there permanently
mainstay
(noun) a central or essential part of something
native
(adjective) belonging to a particular place or country by birth
crimson
(adjective) a deep red color
iteration
(noun) the repetition of a process or statement
concoct
(verb) to make or prepare (something, especially a dish or drink) by combining ingredients
condiment
(noun) a substance, such as salt, pepper, or vinegar, used to add flavor to food
Common Expressions
not always the case
So American, it’s basically the red in red, white, and blue, right?
And that red clearly is from the tomatoes the ketchup is made from.
But that wasn’t always the case.
The phrase “not always the case” means that something is not always true or correct. It is used to indicate that there are exceptions to the rule.
across the pond
By the mid-1700s, English ketchup was a mainstay on British dinner tables and as colonists went west, it soon made its way across the pond.
The phrase “across the pond” is an informal idiom that refers to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often used to describe travel or the flow of information between the United Kingdom or Ireland and the United States or Canada. The phrase is thought to have originated in the early 1900s, when transatlantic travel was still relatively rare. The Atlantic Ocean was seen as a large and daunting body of water, and so the phrase “across the pond” was used to emphasize the distance between the two continents.
into the mix
In 1812, a Philadelphia horticulturalist and scientist by the name of James Mease introduced tomatoes into the mix.
The phrase “into the mix” means to add something to a group of ideas or things. It can also mean to participate in something or to be included in something. The phrase is often used in a figurative sense, but it can also be used literally.
Here are some examples of how the phrase “into the mix” can be used:
– “I’d like to throw my two cents into the mix.” (figurative)
– “The new ingredient really adds something to the mix.” (literal)
for one
And I, for one, don’t miss the fish guts.
The phrase “for one” can have a few different meanings, depending on the context in which it is used.
It can be used to introduce an example or to give one’s own opinion. For example, you might say “For one, I think the new policy is a good idea.”
It can be used to emphasize one’s own point of view. For example, you might say “I, for one, am not convinced by the arguments against the new policy.”
It can be used to indicate that one is speaking for oneself, not for others. For example, you might say “I, for one, am not interested in going to the party.”