Why is tomato sauce called "ketchup" in English? Doesn't it sound like the cantonese version of the bottled condiment (kay-chap)? Or for that matter, in Bahasa Malaysia it is called "kicap". Did those English speaking chaps copy us or did we inherit the words from them? I for one think it came from Asia - I mean when it comes to spices and condiments - Asia IS the place. The Europeans wouldn't have come to Asia looking for spices otherwise! But some of my learned friends pointed out that it was originally spelled as "catsup" - which sort of put some doubt in my fine little theory.
To put this little debate away once and for all, I've decided to do a little research on the web.
For starters, I went to Random House's web site to look for the origin and meaning of the word "ketchup". And what I found turns out to be pretty interesting!
According to Random House, the term "ketchup", "catsup" and "catchup" means the same thing. And the term and the sauce seems to be of Malay origin and the Malay term itself might actually been derived from the Chinese word. The term has already appeared in writing from the late 17th century although today the term "ketchup" is the most accepted spelling.
From other sources on the web, some writers think that the smooth tomato sauce originated from a spicy pickled-fish condiment popular in 17th-century China known as ke-tsiap or kecap and was introduced to other parts of the world by British seamen. It wasn't until the late 1700s that tomatoes was added to the blend.
Whichever is the correct version of the story of ketchup, at least it can be said to be certain that the term originated from Asia. Hey my theory's not so wrong after all!
Interesting Ketchup Facts
Here's some interesting facts about ketchup I found on the web:
| In America, it is one of the most popular kitchen condiment. Around 97% of all American kitchens has a bottle on standby. |
| One tablespoon of ketchup has 16 calories and hey - no fat. |
| Four tablespoons of ketchup have the nutritional value of an entire ripe, medium tomato. |
| Studies in the US show that children under the age of 13 consume 50% more ketchup than people in other age groups. |
| Several epidemiological studies found frequent consumption of tomato products is associated with decreased risk of cancer. It seems that tomatoes contain lycopene, a carotenoid that functions as an antioxidant which gives the red color to tomatoes, watermelon, and red grapefruit. |
| It's advisable to refrigerate ketchup after opening the bottle unless you consume it pretty quick. Something will surely spoil in ketchup when left exposed to the air over time. It's just a question of time. |
| There are different types of ketchup depending on where you get it from - see for yourself at www.ketchupworld.com. |
