FOOD + DRINK
H E Y , SAUCY !
WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN CONDIMENT GUILTY PLEASURES ; EVERYTHING TASTES JUST THAT BIT BETTER DIPPED OR SMOTHERED WITH A LITTLE SAUCE , RELISH OR SALSA . BUT , IT ’ S OFTEN THOSE GENEROUS HELPINGS OF KETCHUP , BROWN OR BBQ SAUCE THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY TO BOTH OUR OWN AND OUR KIDDIES ’ DAILY SUGAR INTAKE .
Condiments of whatever shape , size or form ( especially bottled ) come fully loaded with sugar , in particular the low fat alternatives . So this summer , before patting yourself on the back for choosing what you think is the healthier option , consider what else might be filling the ‘ fatless ’ void and try your hand at making your own condiments . It ’ s time to replace your shop-bought , sugar-swamped sauces with enhancing , delicious homemade options , and it ’ s really not that difficult - all you need are some simple ingredients and a great recipe … We ’ ve got you covered .
Let ’ s Ketch-up
Ketchup is definitely the king of the condiment cupboard and a winner among most of the family members when it comes to sauces . Whether you ’ re enhancing your naughty bacon butty , you ’ re a french fries dipper , or you have slightly more unusual purposes for your ketchup , the majority of us have got a bottle of tomato sauce stashed in the fridge door or somewhere at the back of the cupboard . Have you ever asked yourself though , why is it actually called tomato ketchup ? It seems that truth be told , tomato ketchup hasn ’ t always been what it says on the tin ( or jar in this case ) and that there is a somewhat surprising and bumpy history behind the world ’ s leading condiment . The word ketchup actually comes from the Hokkien Chinese word , kêtsiap , a fermented fish sauce ; yes , believe it or not , tomato sauce started out in life completely tomatofree . So , how did it end the product it is today ?
The 18th century was the real golden age for ketchup ; a firm favourite among sailors because of its ability to last long periods of time , tomato sauce gradually made its way across the world eventually finding its way to England where it instantly caught on . Following this finding , chefs , and cooks alike began producing their own versions of the sought-after condiment derived from a variety of questionable ingredients including oysters , nuts , mushrooms and even lemons . While they aren ’ t quite the tomato ketchup we relate to today , they still all had one thing in common : an intense salty and spicy flavour . It was in fact American James Mease who created the first tomato-based ketchup in 1812 , although it was said at the time to have incorporated alcohol . Some 25 years later , the first bottled ketchups took to the shelves , the only issue being they had to think of a way to preserve the product given the relatively short life span of tomatoes , so in went the artificial preservatives , additives and sugar .
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