Title: How ketchup, an invention of imperial China, eventually became a polarizing American staple | Salon.com
Headings: How ketchup, an invention of imperial China, eventually became a polarizing American staple
How ketchup, an invention of imperial China, eventually became a polarizing American staple
Ketchup makers are trying push past the condiment's basic reputation with new flavors like "Kranch" and "Mayochup"
What is ketchup?
How ketchup, an invention of imperial China, eventually became a polarizing American staple
How should I use ketchup at home?
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Recipe: Salon's Special Sauce
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Brand recommendations, plus how to make it at home
Ashlie D. Stevens

Content: The following season, George (Jason Alexander) informs his parents after they criticize the amount of ketchup he's using that "this is my ketchup. I bought this ketchup just so I could have as much as I want." Advertisement: Advertisement
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To that end, overuse is a common complaint surrounding the condiment, enough so that the Facebook group " Ketchup is a Garbage Condiment " — which was created with a satirical mission centered partially on exposing "over use of ketchup we see on our feeds" — has almost 13,000 members. Contained within are entire folders of photos of ketchup used in increasingly unorthodox places: on macaroni and cheese, as a "dip" for Cheez-Its or smeared on croissants. A recent post shows a kid's breakfast plate that's more ketchup than scrambled eggs. Most comments are a variation on the joke, "This one's broken. Toss the whole kid, and make a new one." Like many condiments, ketchup is polarizing — check out Saucy's column on ranch for another feature on a divisive dip — but if you look beyond the bottle, there's a lot to be learned about the food science behind what makes something cravable or palatable, as well as the static nature of certain condiments like ketchup.