Ketchup's Bad Rap

[Captain.Sassy]

Hey guys I sent this editorial in to Time Magazine, think they'll run it?

The rogue sauce.

The black sheep of the culinary world.

Marinara's weird cousin that nobody invites to the wedding.

These days, it seems that ketchup (or 'catsup' if you're from Texas, Massachussettes, Kentucky, Manitoba or Wales) just can't get a fair shake. Just today, I read on wikipedia that the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (of the US) discourages its members from using ketchup on their hot dogs.

The amount of anti-ketchup propaganda out there these days really infuriates me.

But it's somewhat facile to exclusively blame the liberal media and 'Big-Food' for the demonization of ketchup. While the anti-ketchup lobby's propaganda machine turns out lies and fans the fires of mistrust and division, these seeds hatred have found fertile soil in the kitchens of America's elites and culinary trend setters. Sure, many American cooks will publicly admit to ketchup's versatility as a condiment, to its adaptability as a base for other sauces, and to the fact that ketchup, nearly alone among sauces, has remained virtually unchanged for over 1500 years. But in private, these same people will condescendingly sneer at ketchup and express their disgust for anyone who uses it. Beneath the tolerant and accepting facade of the culinary world lie deep-rooted, well hidden anti-ketchite sentiments that boil to the surface every time anti-ketchitism becomes 'en vogue'.

The most recent wave of anti-ketchup sentiment can be traced back to March of 1996, when the COO of Heinz expressed doubts about ketchups curative properties in a leaked memo. In the resulting backlash, many upscale steak houses stopped carrying the sauce, and fast food franchises (long a safe haven for ketchup) were brought under increasing pressure to follow suite. An investigative report by ABC News later showed that the memo was a fake, and there were ties linking the leaked memo back to French's Mustard. By this time, however, the damage had been done, and fevered attacks on ketchup by its detractors have reached a frenzied pitch in recent months.

Where this most recent slandering of the world's oldest sauce will end is anyone's guess. For now, we can only pray that the American people will remember their historic ties to ketchup and do whatever is in their power to stop this madness.

-Captain.Sassy

[kitchenelf]

Ummmmmm.....first, welcome...........second..you think too much

[GrillingFool]

Hey, it's a food in schools... it CAN'T be bad!!

or would that be good????

LOL!

Fun read, thanks!

[Captain.Sassy]

Thanks for the welcome.

I really don't think ketchup gets a fair shake, though. Like, jokes aside... it is a legitimate sauce. It goes really well on fries and some kinds of sandwich, and even on steak it is good. I don't know why putting ketchup on steak is frowned upon. It doesn't mask the taste- you can still taste the steak through the ketchup IMO. Also, it's a great base for other sauces (I make a really good ribs sauce using ketcup).

[TATTRAT]

ketchup as a base is completely legitimate, as for a steak and ketchup, I dunno...I guess it is just me...seems like bad steak cover up sauce.

[Jeekinz]

I like ketchup on hotdogs, burgers, fries and scrambled eggs.

I don't think it gets a fair shake either. We should protest on the steps of the Capitol.

.....I'll meet you there. (snicker)

[buckytom]

i could not live without ketchup.

certain things, like a burger, egg sandwich, or balboa (italian cheesesteak) would be totally different without it.

i like to put a large dollop of ketchup on my plate to dip the sandwich, so as to be sure to taste the ketchup in each bite.

that being said, i agree with the hot dog folks and think ketchup on a dog is a travesty.

[TATTRAT]

I hear ya, BT. Does grey's even offer ketchup? A good dog, snappy and juicy, needs nothing more then a little onion, imo. Now I wanna dog...

[Jeekinz]

...here's a foot long of goodness:

[luvs]

i say if you like ketchup, eat ketchup. if not, don't.