Ketchup is perhaps one of the most popular condiments used around the world since ketchup is loved by many and can be poured over many dishes.
Since ketchup has been around for centuries, variations of ketchup recipes have emerged around the world, and surprisingly many of these ketchup recipes do not always involve tomatoes.
If you are a fan of ketchup, you may be curious to learn about the types of ketchup. I compiled a list of some of the most popular kinds of ketchup, and here they are!
Types Of Ketchup
1. Tomato Ketchup
Possibly the most popular type of ketchup, tomato ketchup is a classic kind of ketchup that is used to accompany many kinds of food, such as french fries, fried chicken, hot dogs, and more.
Surprisingly, ketchup was not first made with tomatoes since ketchup was first made with fermented fish in China and it was called catsup or kêtsiap, but fermented fish sauce is now called fish sauce.
After many variations of ketchup with different ingredients were made, tomato ketchup made its debut in 1812 by a Philadelphia scientist named James Mease.
However, preserving tomato-based sauces like ketchup was a big issue since tomato-based sauces were spoiling quickly.
Eventually, Heinz introduced a new formula for ketchup in 1876 which involved vinegar as a flavor enhancer and preservative, thus making vinegar an essential ingredient in almost every tomato ketchup recipe.
Since its invention, tomato ketchup slowly became the most popular form of ketchup around Europe and the USA where tomato ketchup is still commonly used today.
Based on many reports, Heinz is the most popular brand for tomato ketchup because Heinz was noted to have the best overall texture, flavor, and appearance compared to other ketchup brands.
For instance, Heinz ketchup has a thick yet glossy texture and appearance, and the flavor of Heinz ketchup has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess that people want in tomato ketchup.
Other brands of tomato ketchup are also worth trying, such as Hunt’s ketchup and Del Monte ketchup, but many argue that each brand of tomato ketchup tastes vastly different from the other.
2. Banana Ketchup
One unique yet popular type of ketchup is banana ketchup, which is a type of ketchup that uses bananas instead of tomatoes to create a sweet yet tangy sauce.
When Americans were traveling to the Philippines, the Americans introduced many foods to the Filipinos, including ketchup.
While tomato ketchup tasted fine to some Filipinos, tomato ketchup was not an immediate hit in the Philippines.
Eventually, a food chemist named Maria Orosa wanted to make ketchup more appealing to Filipinos while making ketchup look the same as American ketchup.
Maria Orosa opted to use a local crop from the Philippines, which was bananas and added red dye to the crop to make the bananas look like tomato ketchup.
Banana ketchup started to become popular in the Philippines, and bottles of banana ketchup were quickly sold since American soldiers opted to use banana ketchup when they ran out of tomato ketchup.
3. Blueberry Ketchup
Blueberry ketchup is another unique type of ketchup that opts for blueberries over tomatoes, creating a deep purple sauce that tastes fruity and bright while featuring a jelly-like texture.
While blueberry ketchup may sound odd, blueberry works as ketchup since blueberry ketchup features the same sweetness and tanginess as regular ketchup albeit with a much fruitier flavor.
Since most brands do not produce blueberry ketchup, you may need to find blueberry ketchup made by home chefs, family businesses, etc.
Moreover, you can make blueberry ketchup at home, and some common ingredients found in blueberry ketchup are blueberries, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and spices.
Some recipes for blueberry ketchup involve onion puree to tone down the sweetness of blueberry ketchup.
4. Jalapeno Ketchup
Most types of ketchup that you find will not be spicy, which is why brands like Heinz have made hot variants of ketchup, which includes jalapeno ketchup.
Normally, jalapeno ketchup still contains tomatoes in it, unlike blueberry ketchup and banana ketchup that replace the tomatoes since only a bit of jalapeno is added for spice.
If you were to try replacing tomatoes with jalapeno, the jalapeno ketchup would be extremely spicy and the jalapeno ketchup would not have the thick texture of ketchup.
Heinz still manufactures jalapeno ketchup to this day, but it may be hard to find Heinz jalapeno ketchup since the jalapeno ketchup is in limited distribution.
5. Sriracha Ketchup
Similar to jalapeno ketchup, some people may be bored with regular tomato ketchup, which led to brands like Huy Fong creating sriracha ketchup.
Sriracha ketchup is a delightful mixture of sriracha, which is a tangy, sweet, spicy, and garlicky hot sauce with ketchup.
Normally, ketchup and sriracha mix well together because they are both red sauces with similar textures, allowing the sauces to blend seamlessly.
Sriracha ketchup tends to be a bit sweeter than jalapeno ketchup because sriracha is already sweet.
You can use sriracha ketchup as you would any other type of ketchup, but sriracha ketchup is popularly used in barbecue recipes that call for ketchup, especially if you want a spicier kick to your barbecue dish.
6. No Sugar Ketchup
While ketchup may not be a sugary treat, some people cannot eat ketchup due to the added sugar, which is why no sugar ketchup was invented for diabetics and weight-watchers alike.
As you can guess, no sugar ketchup contains zero sugar or sugary sweeteners to accommodate people’s needs.
While ketchup does not require sugar to be made, many manufacturers add sugar, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup to ketchup, which can raise blood sugar levels.
Some brands that create no sugar ketchup may opt-out of any no-sugar sweeteners, but certain brands like Heinz will add sucralose to its no sugar ketchup.
7. Tomato-Free Ketchup
Tomato-based ketchup is one of the most popular types of ketchup, but some people are allergic to tomatoes, which is why tomato-free ketchup was created.
Moreover, some people can develop an autoimmune disease that keeps them from eating tomatoes.
Generally, tomato-free ketchup will still taste like tomato ketchup since the goal is to make it taste like regular ketchup.
While each tomato-free ketchup recipe will vary, common ingredients for tomato-free ketchup include balsamic vinegar, beets, and carrots.
8. Mushroom Ketchup
If you want ketchup that packs a savory punch, you can opt for mushroom ketchup, which is another old type of ketchup that is still made today.
Normally, mushroom ketchup features a deep savory flavor thanks to the mushrooms, but mushroom ketchup still features the tangy and salty features you can expect from other kinds of ketchup.
Since mushroom ketchup is already savory, many people add Worcestershire sauce to boost the savoriness.
Moreover, some recipes will add dark soy sauce to mushroom ketchup to add a slightly sweet undertone to the mushroom ketchup.
Typically, mushroom ketchup is used as a dipping sauce or spread with appetizers, but mushroom ketchup can also go with stews, soups, and roasted meats.
Based on findings, mushroom ketchup was first created in Great Britain and some records state that mushroom ketchup was in the USA in 1770.
9. Veggie Ketchup
While it may be a surprise to some, tomatoes do not classify as a vegetable but a fruit, so some manufacturers have developed veggie ketchup that incorporates vegetables into ketchup.
Veggie ketchup usually still contains tomatoes, but veggie ketchup also includes vegetable purees made from spinach, butternut squash, and carrots.
It is safe to assume that veggie ketchup was made to encourage people to get more vegetables in their diets without directly eating vegetables.
Moreover, some veggie ketchup brands like True Made do not contain added sugar to keep the veggie ketchup healthier than regular tomato ketchup.
10. Truffle Ketchup
If you want to try a more premium type of ketchup, you can opt to try truffle ketchup, which is usually a mixture of tomatoes, truffle oil, and spices.
Truffle ketchup tends to be more expensive than the other kinds of ketchup mentioned on this list since one truffle can cost anywhere from $20 to $200.
How truffle ketchup tastes will mostly depend on what brand you get the truffle ketchup from since each brand will have a different recipe.
11. Balsamic Ketchup
Vinegar is a crucial ingredient for most ketchup recipes and while most manufacturers opt to use distilled vinegar and white vinegar for ketchup, balsamic vinegar can make its way into a ketchup recipe to create balsamic ketchup.
Normally, balsamic ketchup’s ingredients involve tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and various spices.
Typically, balsamic ketchup tastes rich and complex compared to regular tomato ketchup, and balsamic ketchup often features notes of prune, chocolate, cherry, molasses, or fig.
While balsamic ketchup is said to taste good, balsamic ketchup may not be tasty for people who are not into bitter and deep flavors.
However, balsamic ketchup can be excellent ketchup to use over hot dogs, burgers, etc. that you want to add a sophisticated taste to.
12. Organic Ketchup
Not everyone is into eating processed foods, so people who want all-natural food products can grab organic ketchup instead of regular tomato ketchup.
Normally, store-bought ketchup uses mass-produced tomatoes, which frequently get sprayed with pesticides.
While these tomatoes are usually still safe to eat, some people do not feel comfortable eating food that has been sprayed with chemicals.
Therefore, organic ketchup can be a great alternative if you want chemical-free tomato ketchup since organic ketchup uses tomatoes that are free of fertilizers and chemical pesticides.
Typically, the price for organic ketchup tends to be higher than regular ketchup since organic tomatoes take more time, money, and effort to grow.
13. Bacon Ketchup
If you want unique and savory ketchup, bacon ketchup is the way to go thanks to bacon ketchup’s sweet and tangy thanks to the tomatoes yet salty and savory from the bacon.
Depending on the brand, bacon ketchup contains real bacon in it to create a deep flavor profile, but store-bought bacon ketchup often looks like regular ketchup.
On the other hand, homemade bacon ketchup looks very unique since bacon bits are mixed directly into ketchup.
While you can use bacon ketchup anywhere you want to put it, bacon ketchup is an excellent condiment for hamburgers, hotdogs, and more.
14. Black Pepper Ketchup
If you are looking for ketchup with more flavor and heat, you have to give black pepper ketchup a try since the ketchup’s sweet and tangy flavors blend well with the bold flavor of crushed black pepper.
Keep in mind that black pepper ketchup is not mild in flavor since black pepper ketchup often contains a large amount of black pepper to achieve a spicy and hot flavor.
Despite being hotter and bolder ketchup, black pepper ketchup often still contains a sweetener like cane sugar to mildly balance the ketchup’s flavor.
15. Curry Ketchup
For those who want extremely distinctive ketchup, curry ketchup features a mixture of tangy, sweet, and spicy tastes.
While each curry ketchup recipe may vary, many curry ketchup ingredients include garlic, turmeric, tamarind, and brown sugar.
Normally, curry ketchup makes an excellent addition to sausages, but you can use curry ketchup to add more flavor to otherwise neutral-tasting foods like french fries.
16. Country Ketchup
While somewhat rare, some brands offer a delicious ketchup called country ketchup, and country ketchup contains a bit more spice and more natural ingredients than regular ketchup.
Typically, country ketchup has a different consistency or color from regular ketchup since each brand will use a different type of tomatoes.
Moreover, country ketchup is often sold in glass jars instead of squeeze bottles.
Check out our other articles to see a list of ketchup brands, ketchup on mac and cheese, and ketchup on meatloaf.
Conclusion
While ketchup may be the most popular condiment globally, tomato ketchup is not the only ketchup around.
Originally, ketchup was never even made with tomatoes since tomatoes were only used to make ketchup around the 1800s.
Since the invention of ketchup, many people have created several kinds of ketchup to suit different needs and tastes, which include banana ketchup, sugar-free ketchup, tomato-free ketchup, and more.