Here at Harrisons, we’re sauce obsessed. There’s never a meal that we can’t find a sauce for, and we’re always arguing over our favourites! Unfortunately, with so many Harrisons Sauces, this argument could go on forever, so maybe it’s time to turn the question on its head.
Instead of trying to agree on which sauce is our favourite, we’re going to take a look at what is arguably the nation’s favourite sauce, and see why it’s so great.
Tomato Sauce - It’s Got History
You might think that tomato ketchup was originally English, or maybe American, but no, ketchup’s origins are actually Chinese. The word ‘Ketchup’ actually comes from the Hokkien Chinese word ‘Kê-tsiap’, which was a sauce made from fermented fish.
The idea was brought back home in the 17th-18th centuries by British traders in South-East Asia, however their version of the sauce was definitely different to the one we know today. It didn’t use tomatoes, and used ingredients like mushrooms, walnuts, and oysters to try and replicate the flavour. Apparently Jane Austen was a big fan of mushroom Ketchup!
Tomatoes were finally added in the 1800s, taking the recipe much closer to what we know today. We doubt many sauces have a history as interesting!
Tomato Sauce Is In Every Kitchen
You can’t argue with this; it’s unusual for a household not to stock any Ketchup. In many cases people will have one in the fridge as well as a couple of bottles waiting on standby in the cupboard.
The reason for this is surely its versatility. The sauce goes with almost anything, from fish and chips, to sandwiches, fried breakfasts, you name it! Its versatility is down to the fact that Ketchup balances both sweet and savoury, meaning that it has the flavour profile to pair with almost anything.
There are a few other sauces that are similar in this respect, such as Brown Sauce, however it simply doesn’t have the same universal popularity that ketchup does.
Could Anything Beat Tomato Sauce?
In short, yes. More and more people are shifting their preference to a different sauce. This sauce is something that you might not have stocked at home until recently, however you may be one of the rapidly growing number of people who now keeps a bottle handy. What sauce are we talking about? Garlic & Herb sauce!
Not so long ago it was a treat that you enjoyed when getting takeout, however people have (rightly!) realised that they should be enjoying it at home too!
While Garlic & Herb sauce might not be as nationally treasured as ketchup, we think that it could take the number one spot soon. Do you agree?