Ketchup

Ketchup is classified as a truly versatile seasoning, because it can be used with a wide variety of dishes - pasta, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, all kinds of hot and cold dishes, as well as salads.

Interestingly, this product dates back to the 17th century, when a sauce was brought from Asia to England, which was called "ke-tsiap" or "koechiap, " which in translation meant "brine based on salted fish or shellfish. " It should be noted that initially the ketchup recipe did not provide for the use of tomatoes - the sauce was made from walnuts, anchovies, beans and mushrooms, which were mixed with wine, garlic and spices.

In general, the United States is called the official homeland of ketchup, and in England it was first called "catchup, " after which this name was transformed into the more familiar "ketchup. " At the end of the nineteenth century, tomatoes began to be added to the ketchup composition, which helped this sauce become even more popular.

In addition to the store product, ketchup is easy to make at home, using quite ripe and very juicy red tomato fruits and various spice spices (mustard seed, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and many others).

Composition of ketchup

Today, the composition of ketchup is no secret to anyone - tomatoes combined with vinegar and spices - these are the ingredients that should appear on the packaging of a high-quality product. In addition, if you see salt, granulated sugar and garlic, do not be alarmed, because these are also natural products that will not harm your health in any way.

Ketchup species

Depending on the application in culinary integers, there are several types of ketchup:



tomato ketchup;

kebab ketchup;

hot ketchup (chili);

ketchup savoury;

ketchup for national cuisine.



All these types of ketchup are usually classified into 4 categories, which depend on the method and technology of production. So, the highest quality is considered a product of the "Extra" category, which is produced exclusively from fresh tomatoes or tomato paste with natural additives. This is followed by ketchups of the highest, first and second categories, in which a small proportion of dyes, stabilizers and thickeners are allowed.

Benefits of ketchup

Rarely anyone talks about the benefits of ketchup, which, although not unreasonable, is not entirely true. The fact is that a natural quality product has a substance called lycopene in its composition, which gives vegetables a red color. It has a clear antitumor effect and reduces the risk of heart disease.

In addition, the benefits of ketchup are also justified for a person's mental balance, because serotonin, the "hormone of happiness, " is present in this product. Therefore, you can call this sauce a natural antidepressant.

The harms of ketchup

A lot is known about the dangers of ketchup, but this applies exclusively to a low-quality product, and even then with its excessive use. For example, the likely adverse consequences can be expressed in exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases, the development of allergic reactions, as well as inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). .