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: There, British home cooks made variations on the paste featuring celery, mushrooms, nuts, oysters and stone fruit. The end results differed wildly, but the goal was the same — to create a flavorful, pungent sauce that could keep for a long time and augment meals at a time when household spices were still a luxury and to help stretch less than choice cuts of meat, especially if they were on the verge of going bad. Advertisement: In 1812, James Mease, a Philadelphia scientist, was credited with creating the first ketchup from "love apples," a term given to tomatoes for their then-purported aphrodisiac qualities. Heinz ketchup came along in 1876, which contained tomatoes, brown sugar, salt, spices and distilled vinegar, a key ingredient that helped prevent tomatoes from decomposing as quickly. That recipe was mimicked by home cooks, as well. Remember the opening scene of "Meet Me in St. Louis," where Katie and Ms. Smith argued over whether the ketchup was too sugary? For both, the end result was sweet, a little bitter, salty, savory and sour. Or, the five fundamental, primal tastes in the human palate. Advertisement: