In the 18th and 19th centuries this was a generic term for many different kinds of vinegar-based sauces and condiments. Only later, after tomato sauce was added, did this product gain its current name and appearance. What is it?

Long before it became a bright red companion to french fries, the word for this condiment had a completely different meaning. The original term, likely derived from the Hokkien Chinese word "kê-tsiap," referred to a fermented fish sauce discovered by European sailors in Southeast Asia. When they brought the concept back home in the 18th century, they began creating their own versions using local ingredients. For over a century, "ketchup" was a generic term for a wide variety of dark, thin, and savory sauces made from everything from mushrooms and walnuts to oysters and anchovies, all typically preserved in a vinegar or brine base.

The transformation into the condiment we know today began in the United States in the early 19th century. Tomato-based recipes started to appear, offering a sweeter, tangier flavor profile that proved incredibly popular. Early tomato ketchups were often thin and sold locally, with recipes varying from one cook to another. It wasn't until the late 1800s that commercial producers, most famously Henry J. Heinz, perfected a recipe using ripe tomatoes, increased vinegar, and sugar. This created the thick, shelf-stable, and iconic red sauce that eventually became so dominant it claimed the name "ketchup" entirely for itself, pushing the older fish and mushroom versions into obscurity.