How Ketchup Evolved From A Popular American Medicine To A Condiment Icon

<p>Ketchup, a wildly popular condiment that is found on countless tables around the world, got its start in the United States with a much different use. While it&rsquo;s now most commonly used to complement hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries, it actually began as an American staple 200 years ago when it was marketed and sold as medicine.</p> <p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookist.com/did-you-know-that-tomato-ketchup-was-once-used-as-medicine/#:~:text=Ketchup%20Was%20Medicine%20At%20Some,form%20of%20'tomato%20pills'." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">origins&nbsp;</a>of ketchup date back to ancient Asia, where fermented fish sauces were commonly used to enhance the flavor of meals. These early versions bear little resemblance to the tomato-based (along with sugar, vinegar and spices) condiment we know today. The word &ldquo;ketchup&rdquo; also has diverse&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">linguistic&nbsp;</a>roots, stemming from Chinese (koechiap) to Malay (kecap) to British English (ketchup); all typically referring to a variety of condiments made from fermented fish brine, mushrooms, and walnuts.</p> <p><a href="https://historianandrew.medium.com/how-ketchup-evolved-from-a-popular-american-medicine-to-a-condiment-icon-6f1daff6b7b6"><strong>Read More</strong></a></p>