{"id":31785,"date":"2018-06-05T13:34:54","date_gmt":"2018-06-05T17:34:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=31785"},"modified":"2024-03-13T11:42:41","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T15:42:41","slug":"today-is-national-ketchup-day-you-say-catsup-i-say-ketchup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/today-is-national-ketchup-day-you-say-catsup-i-say-ketchup.html","title":{"rendered":"Today Is National Ketchup Day: You Say Catsup I Say Ketchup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega searches old newspapers to find recipes for the many varieties of ketchup that were familiar to our ancestors. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Ketchup. You probably have a bottle of the tomato-based condiment in your refrigerator right now. Most Americans consider it a must-have for hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries \u2013 but what do you really know about this common everyday sauce? Your ancestors also thought it was essential, but chances are you wouldn\u2019t recognize their version of ketchup\/catsup. A look at historical newspapers reveals the reason why.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: tomato ketchup and other condiments. Credit: Rameshng; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

History of Ketchup<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start our discussion with a look at the word itself: catsup versus ketchup. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the term \u201cketchup\u201d dates back to 1711 and is:<\/p>\n

\u201csaid to be from Malay (Austronesian) kichap, but probably not original to Malay. It might have come from Chinese koechiap, \u2018brine of fish,\u2019 which, if authentic, perhaps is from the Chinese community in northern Vietnam [Terrien de Lacouperie, in \u2018Babylonian and Oriental Record,\u2019 1889, 1890]. Catsup (earlier catchup, 1680s) is a failed attempt at Englishing, still in use in U.S., influenced by cat and sup.\u201d(1)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s possible that the English came across ketchup in their travels to Southeast Asia and then tried their hand at making the sauce around the 18th century.(2)<\/p>\n

So, what about the name? Is it catsup or ketchup? In a search I did of GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, I found the use of the term \u201cketchup\u201d around 1880, but the use of \u201ccatsup\u201d can also be found from the 19th<\/sup> century to well into the 20th century. It is believed that the association of the word \u201cketchup\u201d with the tomato-based condiment by Heinz and other food companies made the word eventually win out over \u201ccatsup.\u201d(3)<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: homemade mushroom ketchup in a plastic tub. Credit: Rex Roof; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By now you\u2019re probably wondering why I\u2019ve referred to ketchup as a \u201ctomato-based condiment.\u201d After all, isn\u2019t it obvious that ketchup is made from tomatoes? Well, maybe not so obvious: early catsup creations your ancestors were familiar with are nothing you\u2019d recognize today.<\/p>\n

I remember seeing my first 19th century ketchup recipe in one of my community cookbooks under the title Oyster Ketchup. Yes, early ketchups were made of all kinds of ingredients including mushrooms, walnuts, grapes, and yes, even oysters. Recipes and advertisements for these catsups can be found in historical cookbooks and newspapers. It\u2019s probably helpful to think of these earlier creations as sauces for foods like meat, rather than something to dip foods into.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Commercial Advertiser (New York, New York), 5 March 1840, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All the Flavors of Catsup<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, when someone mentions the word \u201cketchup\u201d everyone knows what that means. But for our ancestors, the word ketchup or catsup was typically qualified with what the main ingredient was. We all know tomato catsup, and I already mentioned that oysters, mushrooms, and grapes were also possible ingredients found in catsups. So, let\u2019s look at some other catsups our ancestors would have been familiar with.<\/p>\n

This 1900 gooseberry catsup recipe calls for eight pounds of the fruit and four pounds of brown sugar. It\u2019s said to be able to \u201ckeep a long time\u201d but the user would need to scald it occasionally and add vinegar and spices.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, New York), 14 July 1900, page 12<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another 1900 catsup recipe is this one for \u201ccold catsup,\u201d which most likely had a kick due to the addition of horseradish. Interestingly enough, the recipe states that it is absent of spices. It\u2019s true it doesn\u2019t include spices like ginger and mace \u2013 but it does include red peppers, grated horseradish, sugar, salt, onion, pepper and cider vinegar.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), 16 September 1900, page 23<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In case you want to try some anchovy catsup, here\u2019s a 1917 recipe. In response to a reader\u2019s question, the newspaper\u2019s \u201cWomen\u2019s Exchange\u201d column provides a recipe that calls for ale, anchovies, shallots, mushroom catsup, sugar, ginger, mace, and cloves. Notice the recipe includes the addition of catsup as an ingredient: mushroom catsup.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 23 July 1917, page 7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have to throw in one more: celery catsup. Celery was much more popular in our ancestor\u2019s time than it is now (in my opinion), and nothing proves that more than a recipe for celery catsup. Catsup was a sauce and, probably not surprisingly, this recipe recommends that this catsup be used on \u201cboiled meats, beef steak, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 15 November 1902, page 20<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tomato Ketchup<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the early 1800s tomatoes become an ingredient in ketchup in the United States. But there was a problem. Ketchup normally had a year-long storage life, but tomato pulp (which was often used) was more difficult to preserve, and so those early tomato ketchups contained deadly chemicals to retain a red color and avoid spoilage.(4) Historical newspaper ads reflect the problems with early tomato-based catsup in their advertisements claiming their products were \u201cpure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Daily Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), 7 January 1900, page 9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In an answer to those chemicals and contaminates that plagued early tomato-based ketchups, Henry J. Heinz started producing his ketchup in 1876 using ripe tomatoes, which naturally have pectin, and larger amounts of vinegar to avoid spoilage.(5)<\/p>\n

Who Knew Ketchup Was So Interesting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, when you hear the word \u201cketchup\u201d you automatically assume it\u2019s a thick, bright red sauce that\u2019s great for dipping French fries. The catsups of our ancestors\u2019 day were different, yet today are but a footnote in food history. And with the availability of ketchup, whether you purchase it at the grocery store or use it in tiny foil packets provided with fast foods, there\u2019s no need to make your own \u2013 so we rarely if ever see recipes for the sauce in today\u2019s cookbooks.<\/p>\n

Do you have an old family cookbook? Does it contain catsup recipes? Please share them with us in the comments section below.<\/p>\n

___________________<\/p>\n

(1) \u201cketchup (n),\u201d Online Etymology Dictionary (https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/ketchup<\/a>: accessed 25 May 2018).
\n(2) \u201cHow was Ketchup Invented?\u201d National Geographic (https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/culture\/article\/how-was-ketchup-invented<\/a>: accessed 25 May 2018).
\n(3) \u201cCatsup vs Ketchup: What\u2019s the Difference,\u201d Writing Explained (https:\/\/writingexplained.org\/catsup-vs-ketchup-difference<\/a>: accessed 26 May 2018).
\n(4) \u201cHow was Ketchup Invented?\u201d National Geographic (https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/culture\/article\/how-was-ketchup-invented<\/a>: accessed 25 May 2018).
\n(5) Ibid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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