Anchovy and Walnut Ketchup!

vintage postcards

The word 'ketchup' comes from the Chinese Ké Tsiap. Dutch and English sailors brought this spicy, fishy and very tomato less concoction back home with them from Asia. Europeans then added nutty ingredients like... walnuts!


A ketchup recipe in 'The complete Housewife,' published in 1727, called for anchovies, shallots, vinegar, white wine, sweet spices (cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg), pepper, and lemon peel! A tomato was finally popped into the mix in about 1801. Mmmmm..pass the fries!



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23 cool cats commented:

Marie Reed said...

I don't know why the font is so bizarrely huge today!

The ketchup print ad is from 1898:)

Devon Coles said...

All the better to see it, LOL. I might even like ketchup if it weren't for the tomatoes . . . my 'french' fries(so NOT French, shudder) just get vinegar and salt.

Pat said...

Sounds good. I like spicy ketchup.

Eki said...

the anchovy looks yummy! and the ad at the top very classy ... reminds me of the old days ...

thanks for visiting and commenting on my JAGAT FOTOGRAFI blog.

Eki

Tess Kincaid said...

I love this post! Who knew? I think I could eat ketchup on just about anything.

Catherine said...

Never, NERVER, tell my children there could be anchovies in their loved ketchup !
Thanks for the information, Mary.

Spök-spök said...

All of a sudden i know a lot about ketchup! I still wonder if ketchup and katsup are the same thing, though...

Polly Forns said...

Okay, I think I'm glad that I rarely eat ketchup!

MuseSwings said...

Mmmm Ketchup! I'd like to try that recipe - sounds a little fishy, but good.

There's a missing gem and a reward at my place - you got the gem? huh? huh?

Dawn Parsons Smith said...

mmmm...I am a salt and vinegar on my fries kinda girl, but I might try a little anchovy action!

Kiezie said...

Thanks for visiting me! I am so happy to find your blog. I think it's tres cute, and besides that, I love ketchup so this was a fun post for me!! Can't wait to see more!

Starman said...

I'm not fond of anchovies. At all.

"Sunshine" said...

I love old ads. Thanks for the cool story accompanying it!

Jean-Luc Picard said...

I like your blog, Marie. Very stylish. Thanks for visiting my Journal. Hope you'll drop in soon.

The Blonde Duck said...

I could drink ketchup...I'm so weird.

Sparky said...

Anchoives!!? Ewww ... this is one time I'm grateful to be in modern times. Now I'm hungry though. :o) ♥ ∞

Leah Kleylein said...

how interesting! suddenly I want to know even more about ketchup! :-)

~PakKaramu~ said...

Pak Karamu visiting your blog

lorhen82 said...

Anchovies...in ketchup??? Banish the thought!!! ~Lori

Mammatalk said...

Hmmm. Interesting. Never knew!

Betsy Brock said...

Who knew?! Funny that it didn't start out with tomato!

grace said...

i know anchovies just provide a salty background, but i can't help but be disgusted by them. :)

Joe Narvaez said...

Wow I did not know that ketchup is a chinese word. Thanks for the info!

I added you to my bloglist by the way. Kudos!