Most folks, when they think of ketchup they think of Heinz in a bottle, which is a tomato-based condiment. But you may be surprised to learn that the original ketchup was neither born in the U.S nor was it a tomato-based condiment. It started out in China as a pickled fish sauce.
Over centuries and different continents, it morphed into a Chinese seasoning that was discovered by English sailors, but that version was more a kin to Worcestershire sauce. The British used ingredients such as anchovies or oysters mushrooms, and walnuts to recreate those flavors. In turn ketchup came to mean a condiment consisting of mushrooms. The English settlers brought this mushroom ketchup to America, where it continued to gradually go through various changes. One significant alteration was the addition of tomatoes, which is how we have the ketchup that we know today.
I tell you that story so that you realize that all ketchups are not necessarily tomato-based. Hence our recent creations on the Pantry Picks shelves of our Cranberry Ketchup, Peach Ketchup, Maple Bourbon Ketchup and our Roasted Red Pepper Ketchup. In the pic below, the two items on your far left are our Peach and Cranberry ketchup. These new items are fun, creative and tasty and will compliment so many dishes on your dinner table. Give them a try and let us know what you think. Order Here!