Pizza is a fun dish that lots of people love because you can customize your pizza to make the pizza suit your tastes, which leads people to add more “unusual” ingredients to pizza, such as ketchup.
If you have heard about putting ketchup on pizza, you may be wondering if ketchup belongs on pizza. I did the research, and here is what I found!
Does Ketchup Belong On Pizza?
Typically, most people believe that ketchup does not belong on pizza because most pizza dishes contain tomato-based sauces, so adding ketchup is unnecessary. Moreover, ketchup adds a sugary taste that most people do not want on their pizza due to personal preference. Plus, ketchup is seen as a childish condiment, and adding ketchup to pizza may drown the pizza’s flavor.
Are you wondering why ketchup does not go with pizza, why people eat pizza with ketchup, and if you can use ketchup instead of tomato sauce for pizza? Keep reading!
Does Ketchup Go With Pizza?
Generally, ketchup does not go with pizza since another form of tomatoes is usually added to pizza, which is tomato sauce.
Originally, pizza was made with oil and herbs, and slowly other ingredients like tomatoes and mozzarella became popular toppings for pizza.
As time went by, tomatoes remained a staple to put over pizza, and variations of tomatoes were used, including tomato sauce.
Since pizza can be customized to whatever you want to add to it, many people have been adding ketchup to their pizza, and people can either use ketchup as a replacement for tomato sauce or use ketchup as a condiment for pizza.
However, most pizza enthusiasts would state that ketchup does not go on pizza, and ketchup is not commonly seen added to the pizza.
Why Does Ketchup Not Go With Pizza?
Why ketchup does not go on pizza would depend on who you ask, but most people would agree that adding ketchup to pizza is sacrilegious.
Many people believe that pizza does not require ketchup, especially since pizza usually comes with a tomato-based sauce.
Moreover, pizza is a combination of flavors thanks to pizza’s various toppings, so most people do not see why ketchup has to be put on pizza.
Another reason why people frown upon adding ketchup to pizza is that ketchup seems childish to some people.
While ketchup is meant to be sour and tangy, most store-bought ketchup is fairly sweet, and sweet flavors are commonly associated with child-like tastes.
Plus, many people seem to think you need to enjoy food as is, so adding ketchup to pizza seems unnecessary since you are trying to mask the flavors of a traditional pizza.
Why Do People Eat Pizza With Ketchup?
Normally, people will eat pizza with ketchup simply because they want to, and usually, it is because they like the way ketchup tastes.
Typically, people who eat pizza with ketchup will dollop some ketchup onto their pizza to add sweet and sour flavors to the pizza.
Moreover, not all pizzas are made equal since some pizzas may taste bland, so people may add ketchup to add more flavor to their pizza.
Additionally, some pizzas may have a very dry texture due to being poorly made or is in the fridge for too long, so some may add ketchup to add moisture to their pizzas.
What Countries Put Ketchup On Pizza?
According to some reports, Pakistan frequently serves pizza with ketchup on the table, making ketchup a staple condiment to be served with pizza.
However, it is unsure if everyone in Pakistan adds ketchup to their pizza, but it is safe to assume that lots of people in Pakistan do.
Other than Pakistan, no country is known for serving ketchup with pizza since adding ketchup to pizza is seen as unusual in most countries.
Can I Use Ketchup Instead Of Tomato Sauce For Pizza?
Technically, you can use ketchup instead of tomato sauce for pizza, especially if you do not have any tomatoes or tomato sauce available.
Normally, ketchup’s ingredients include tomato concentrate, salt, and distilled vinegar along with other additives like corn syrup, sugar, and flavorings.
Depending on the brand or recipe, tomato sauce is often made cooked down and simmered tomatoes, often with olive oil.
While ketchup does contain more ingredients than tomato sauce, ketchup can work as a quick replacement for pizza when needed.
You can use a one-to-one ratio of ketchup to tomato sauce for pizza, but this will highly depend on the flavors of the ketchup and what you want your pizza to taste like.
For instance, if you have slightly sweeter ketchup, you may want to use a little less ketchup on your pizza or add other ingredients to balance out the ketchup’s sweetness.
If your ketchup is fairly sour and tangy, you may be fine using the same amount of ketchup as you would for tomato sauce on your pizza.
Is It Okay If I Eat Pizza With Ketchup?
Since you will be the one enjoying your slice of pizza, it is totally fine for you to eat pizza with ketchup if you enjoy doing so.
There are no hard rules when it comes to food and how you should enjoy it, so it is your decision if you want to add ketchup to your pizza.
Moreover, ketchup can work on pizza, especially if you are using ketchup instead of tomato sauce for a quick fix.
If you wish to learn if ketchup belongs on a hot dog, if ketchup belongs on pasta, and if ketchup belongs on eggs, read our related articles.
Conclusion
Normally, it is not common to eat pizza with ketchup, and most people frown upon ketchup with pizza since ketchup is seen as childish, overpowers the flavor of the pizza, and is unnecessary since pizza usually has tomatoes.
However, you can use ketchup instead of tomato sauce if you do not have any tomatoes or tomato sauce available, and you can opt to dollop ketchup over pizza if you enjoy ketchup.