Tomatoes + ambiguity = perfection
By Rebecca Firkser Updated February 13, 2018
what is heinz kethcup
Credit: Photo by Chris Rank via Getty Images
Of all the breakfast condiments, I think of none more fondly than ketchup. A necessary accompaniment to scrambled eggs and hash browns, there’s nothing like it. But what exactly is in ketchup, and why do we always think of Heinz’s version first?
We all know ketchup as a tomato-based product, but it’s certainly not tomato sauce or tomato paste. The tangy-sweet sauce contains vinegar, onions, garlic, some kind of sweetener, and seasonings like mustard powder, cumin, allspice and cinnamon. However, if you were to make a batch at home with those ingredients, your ketchup still probably wouldn’t taste like the stuff you get at the diner. So, what else is going on inside every bottle of Heinz?
Although ketchup was first used as a general table sauce (it was called “catsup” then), and was made with vegetables other than tomatoes, what we think of as ketchup today is actually the result of a debate over a potentially dangerous preservative. Sodium benzoate, a chemically engineered sodium salt, was used in many packaged foods during the early 20th century. Harvey W. Wiley, the first commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration, was against using the preservative, citing scores of health complications it could cause. Along with other entrepreneurs, Henry J. Heinz set out to create a ketchup that didn’t need to be preserved with sodium benzoate. We’ve all eaten what he came up with.
So what’s lurking behind that classic black and white label? A bottle of classic Heinz ketchup contains tomato concentrate “from red ripe tomatoes,” distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, onion powder, spice, natural flavor. Considering that this ingredient list is made up of fairly common items, the reason Heinz ketchup tastes so good has to do with the exact ratios of each ingredient. Even Simply Heinz, the company’s corn syrup-free ketchup, tastes pretty similar to the classic.
The answer to why Heinz is so good is right on their website: Each bottle contains “a special blend of spices and flavorings—all the good things that make Heinz ‘America's Favorite Ketchup®’.” They’ve landed on the perfect recipe, and no other brand or skilled home cook can compete.
There are of course small-batch, artisanal ketchup companies, as well as larger producers of the condiment all over the world, but none of their products taste as much of a completely unique product as Heinz. For example, a bottle of Sir Kensington’s Ketchup contains tomatoes, tomato paste, organic cane sugar, onions, distilled vinegar, water, salt, lime juice concentrate, green bell peppers, and allspice—a very similar list to Heinz’s. While ketchups produced by companies like Sir Kensington’s, Hunt’s, Muir Glen, and French’s are certainly good tomato-based condiments, they’re not going to taste or look as good as Heinz.
Perhaps it’s this simultaneous ambiguity of the spice blend and the miraculous ability to hit all of the five tastes at once, in perfect harmony, that makes Heinz ketchup so good. As Malcolm Gladwell writes in The New Yorker, “the taste of Heinz’s ketchup began at the tip of the tongue, where our receptors for sweet and salty first appear, moved along the sides, where sour notes seem the strongest, then hit the back of the tongue, for umami and bitter, in one long crescendo. How many things in the supermarket run the sensory spectrum like this?”
FAQs
TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR, MALT VINEGAR (CONTAINS BARLEY), SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, RAISIN JUICE CONCENTRATE, MUSTARD FLOUR, SOYBEAN OIL, TURMERIC, SPICES, APPLE PUREE, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES), CARAMEL ...
What ingredients are in Heinz ketchup? ›
Ingredients: TOMATO CONCENTRATE FROM RED RIPE TOMATOES, DISTILLED VINEGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, SALT, SPICE, ONION POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORING.
What does the 57 mean in Heinz? ›
The reason for "57" is unclear. Heinz said he chose "5" because it was his lucky number and the number "7" was his wife's lucky number. However, Heinz also said the number "7" was selected specifically because of the "psychological influence of that figure and of its enduring significance to people of all ages".
Which ketchup does not have high fructose corn syrup? ›
Sir Kensington's Classic Ketchup, Ketchup From Whole Tomatoes, No High Fructose Corn Syrup, Gluten Free, Certified Vegan, Non- GMO Project Verified, Shelf-Stable, 20 oz Pack of 2.
Why does McDonald's not use Heinz ketchup? ›
However, in 2013 Heinz was acquired by a new company with a new CEO, Bernado Hees. Hees was the former CEO of Burger King, McDonald's fast food rival. Because of Hees' history with Burger King, McDonald's decided to end its 40-year partnership with Heinz and produce its own ketchup instead.
Are there 57 varieties of tomatoes in Heinz ketchup? ›
But that famous number is completely made up. There weren't 57 Heinz varieties when Pittsburgh business magnate H.J. Heinz first invented the slogan in 1896.
What are the secret spices in Heinz ketchup? ›
The tangy-sweet sauce contains vinegar, onions, garlic, some kind of sweetener, and seasonings like mustard powder, cumin, allspice and cinnamon. However, if you were to make a batch at home with those ingredients, your ketchup still probably wouldn't taste like the stuff you get at the diner.
What is the number one ingredient in ketchup? ›
Ketchup is a tomato-based condiment that's primarily used for dipping or spreading, though it's also commonly featured as an ingredient in other sauces and dressings. It's usually made with tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and spices and seasonings.
What is special about Heinz ketchup? ›
Heinz Tomato Ketchup is made only from sweet, juicy, red ripe tomatoes for the signature thick and rich taste of Americas Favorite Ketchup. Did you know that every tomato in every bottle of Heinz Ketchup is grown from Heinz seeds? Grown not made... One reason why nothing else tastes like Heinz!
What's the difference between catsup and ketchup? ›
As it turns out, they're the same thing!
Ketchup and catsup are both Westernized terms for a condiment that has origins in China: fish sauce. Ketchup as we know it today is a modernized version of fish sauce, which was made in port towns on the South China Sea with salted and fermented anchovies.
“The sweet spot to tap on the Heinz bottle is the 57 on the neck,” a Heinz spokesperson explained to TODAY Food. “All you need to do is apply a firm tap where the bottle narrows, and the ketchup will come out easier.”
Did Heinz really have 57 varieties? ›
The '57 varieties' label represents the variety of products that Heinz has, but the number was actually selected at random by founder Henry Heinz himself. He didn't have 57 varieties when the brand began. Instead, it was a clever way to create authenticity and attract customers.
Why avoid Heinz ketchup? ›
It contains high quantities of sugar, salt, fructose, preservatives and corn syrup. All of these ingredients when combined together have an adverse effect on the body.
Which is the healthiest tomato ketchup? ›
Primal Kitchen Organic and Unsweetened Ketchup
If you want to give added sugar of all kinds the boot, Primal Kitchen is the ketchup brand for you. Made with tomato concentrate, balsamic vinegar, and spices (and no HFCS, dates, honey, or syrups of any kind), it's a personal favorite of nutritionist Keri Glassman, RD.
What is an unhealthy ingredient in ketchup? ›
Two ingredients of concern in ketchup are salt and sugar. Per tablespoon, ketchup contains 4 grams of sugar and 190 milligrams of sodium. Although 4 grams of sugar doesn't seem like a lot, much of it comes from added sugar, as opposed to the natural sugar found in tomatoes.
What is the Heinz 57 breed? ›
Heinz 57, Heinz, or Heinz Hound is often used for dogs of uncertain ancestry, in a playful reference to the "57 Varieties" slogan of the H. J. Heinz Company. In some countries, such as Australia, bitsa (or bitzer) is sometimes used, meaning "bits o' this, bits o' that".
What are the ingredients in Heinz ketchup USA vs Canada? ›
Heinz Tomato Ketchup (America): Tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring. Heinz Tomato Ketchup (Canada): Tomato paste (from fresh, ripe tomatoes), sugar, vinegar, salt spices.
What percentage of Heinz ketchup is tomatoes? ›
The Heinz product claims on its label to contain 61% tomato paste, but Osem Trade said it had commissioned independent testing that showed it only contained 21% tomato paste.
What are the ingredients in Heinz ketchup blood? ›
Is the Tomato sauce made of blood? Definitely not. This is fake new. Tomatoes sauce is made from concentrated tomato extract and seasoning.
