00:00 Ketchup is a commonly used condiment with an ancient and global history.

01:26 The history of ketchup starts in Southeast Asia with fish sauce, which British sailors encountered in China in the 17th century.

02:41 British sailors encountered fish sauce in China and attempted to recreate it back home, resulting in different bases for ketchup including anchovies, oysters, walnuts, and mushrooms, with mushrooms eventually becoming the preferred ingredient; the mushroom-based sauce was brought to the US in the 18th century, and Americans began spelling it as "cat's up" before the tomato became a popular ingredient.

03:56 Tomatoes were initially used as ornamental plants in Europe before becoming popular in southern Europe and eventually in England, and while tomato-based ketchup recipes existed in the 18th century, it was in America where tomato ketchup really took off, with the first American tomato ketchup recipes still containing fish and lacking the key ingredients of modern ketchup, and it wasn't until 1876 that Henry J. Heinz introduced the ketchup that we know today.

05:16 Heinz changed the spelling of ketchup, removed the word tomato, added vinegar and sugar, and created a product with a balance of all five tastes, which led to its success and the disappearance of homemade ketchup recipes.

06:32 Ketchup is considered a democratic food, with no better version available regardless of price, and while the US is often associated with ketchup, other countries like Canada and the UK consume more per capita.

07:51 Ketchup is used differently in various cultures, such as putting it on pizza or french fries but not on mashed potatoes or chicken, and while tomato sauce in Australia may look like ketchup, it is not the same.