Here’s a striking statistic that underscores ketchup’s importance and ubiquity: 97 percent of American households use it. But it’s equally beloved in many other countries around the globe.
Throughout its remarkable history, this popular condiment has passed through the hands of eccentric doctors, enterprising salespeople, and inventive food magnates, transforming from a controversial medicinal remedy into a beloved sauce.
China – The Birthplace of Ketchup
In 300 B.C., sailors in China first created a fermented fish sauce known as “kê-tsiap.” By the 17th century, Chinese traders were selling this traditional condiment, which didn’t yet contain tomatoes, to European buyers. The earliest references to sauces called “kê-tsiap,” “kê-chup,” or “kue-chiap” can be found in invoices and recipes from that time. Among these written records is an English recipe from 1732 titled “Ketchup in Paste from Bencoolen in the East Indies” (modern-day Indonesia).
In the 18th century, imported ketchup made its way to European tables, where it began to be mixed with local ingredients like mushrooms, nuts, and elderberries. Another English recipe from that era included anchovies, shallots, horseradish, and nutmeg. It was during this century that tomatoes were introduced as the main ingredient of the sauce.
When tomatoes were brought to Europe and North America from South America in the 16th century, they were considered poisonous. But how did this “poisonous crop” become a central component of ketchup? Food historian Andrew F. Smith says that by the mid-18th century tomatoes underwent a kind of “rebranding,” led by English and American doctors who unexpectedly claimed that tomatoes could cure nearly all ailments.
Tomatoes Became Medicine
The first doctor to change public perception of tomatoes was Englishman John Gerard. In the late 16th century, he suggested that cooked tomatoes, rather than raw ones, were safe to eat. Soon, tomatoes were celebrated as “love apples” for their supposed aphrodisiac properties. They were also prescribed for treating digestive issues and liver ailments.
As British doctors traveled to America, they brought the idea that tomatoes were medicinal. Rumors about “medicinal love apples” spread across the states, and tomatoes began to be prescribed for indigestion and diarrhea.
One of the first cookbook authors to include tomatoes in a ketchup recipe was James Mease, a scientist and gardener from Philadelphia. His 1812 recipe called for finely chopped tomatoes, brandy, a spicy seasoning mix, allspice, and salt.
A Mormon Doctor Treated Stomach Disorders with Ketchup
In the 1830s, John Cook Bennett was one of the doctors who considered tomatoes a cure-all. During a university lecture in Ohio, he claimed that tomatoes could help with diarrhea, cholestatic encephalopathy, and indigestion. He urged people to eat tomatoes in any form: raw, cooked, or in ketchup.
In 1840, Bennett founded the Illinois State Medical Society and became a Mormon. Yet he never stopped advocating for tomatoes.
In 1835, Dr. A.J. Holcomb introduced the first “tomato pills” in Glassboro. These capsules, marketed as pure tomato fruit extract, were sold in pharmacies and grocery stores under the slogan “Tomato Pills Will Cure All Your Ailments.”
By around 1865, the medical myths surrounding tomatoes began to fade. However, this vegetable had already won the hearts of many. Its popularity coincided with innovations in food production that paved the way for the future boom of ketchup.
The Titan of Ketchup – Henry John Heinz
By the late 19th century, glassblowers introduced inexpensive bottles made through pressure molding. This significantly simplified the transportation and storage of sauces, making it easier for food companies to bring their products to market. It was during this time that the world heard about the titan of ketchup – Henry John Heinz.
Henry John Heinz
In 1869, he founded HJ Heinz Company, initially selling horseradish, sauerkraut, vinegar, and pickles. By 1876, he added ketchup to his product line.
Following in the footsteps of the doctors of the recent past, Heinz skillfully marketed the sauce as a healthful product. By selling it in clear glass bottles, he aimed to showcase the high quality of the ingredients. In 1890, Heinz patented an octagonal bottle for his sauce and protected the name “Ketchup.”
The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 asserted that industrial food had higher hygiene and safety standards compared to homemade products. Marian Tebbens, author of the book “Sauces: A Global History,” shared this insight with Popular Science. Naturally, this notion resonated with industrialists, who amplified it through advertising. Soon, consumers began to prefer sauces in industrial bottles over homemade ones.
In the 20th century, ketchup consumption soared alongside the explosive growth of fast-food restaurants. It turned out that the sauce was a perfect match for fries and burgers.
Centuries after its medical rebranding, ketchup remains the undisputed king of condiments.
Photo: Openverse
