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The Story of Ketchup (or Catsup, if You Please) |
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TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
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Posted: 22 August 2018 at 12:03 |
As part of an on-going email exchange relating to experimentations in home-made catsup, Brook (HistoricFoodie) offered some really nice background and history on this beloved condiment. I will re-post it here, with an invitation to Brook and everyone else to keep the discussion going:
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pitrow
Master Chef Joined: 22 November 2010 Location: Newberg, Oregon Status: Offline Points: 1078 |
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Interesting read Ron/Brook! Personally I had always thought the roots of traditional Ketchup were from Kecap Manis (in Dutch we call it Ketjap Manis) which is a fermented sauce like soy sauce but with added palm sugar so it's sweeter. However I've never really done any research on the subject I just know that originally ketchup was a thin sauce with no tomatoes and the name is similar. As a side topic, Ron have you tried the fermented ketchup from farm steady? I've been tempted to try it, as it sounds interesting, but I'm not really much of a ketchup user so I haven't yet.
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Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog |
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HistoricFoodie
Admin Group Joined: 21 February 2012 Location: Kentucky Status: Offline Points: 4940 |
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Mike, I hadn't gotten that deeply into it in my above info. But you are right, most ketchups, back in the day, would have been either fermented, or had an acid added. Fermenting was likely the most common practice, especially in Asia.
There's no other way that a condiment made with oysters, anchovies, or similar products would keep, otherwise. |
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But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket |
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HistoricFoodie
Admin Group Joined: 21 February 2012 Location: Kentucky Status: Offline Points: 4940 |
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I looked at that recipe, Mike. Not sure I understand the point of it. You're already adding lots of acid: vinegar, kraut juice, and the tomatoes themselves. Why add even more, in the form of lactic acid?
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But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket |
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pitrow
Master Chef Joined: 22 November 2010 Location: Newberg, Oregon Status: Offline Points: 1078 |
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that is a very good point Brook, honestly I hadn't looked at the recipe in earnest. Like I noted above I don't use ketchup much so I was thinking this "fermented" one might be something I like a little better but hadn't gotten much further than reading the first couple paragraphs in their blog entry. I still might try it, just to see how it turns out.
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Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog |
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TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
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I actually made that once, using this recipe from Time/Life's Southeast Asia volume of the Foods of the World series: http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/ketjap-manis-indonesian-sweet-soy-sauce_topic1817.html It was good - I liked it a lot, but I bet it would be even better if made more traditionally. The use of fermentation and palm sugar would probably kick it straight out of the park. I haven't yet tried Farmsteady's take on it, but was considering it. I am guessing (could easily be wrong) that their recipe is intended to be fool-proof, since a lot of folks out there in the internet don't know what they are doing, and Liability is actually a very ugly 4-letter word. Maybe the kraut juice is intended to jump start the fermentation? I'm not so sure about the vinegar...perhaps to add that apple-cider tang, or maybe that is something that it would have gotten on its own if crushed/pureed tomatoes were used rather than tomato paste...I do not know. |
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pitrow
Master Chef Joined: 22 November 2010 Location: Newberg, Oregon Status: Offline Points: 1078 |
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Thanks for that link Ron! I have never tried making ketjap manis, just bought it, but after reading that I might try it myself. :)
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Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog |
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TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
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LOL - see, that's what I was talking about..."I have never tried making ketjap manis, just bought it...." That would be impossible in in this part of the country!
You've got it made, Mike - lots of awesome stuff at your fingertips in the PNW.... |
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