Ketchup

:This article is about the condiment; for the singers, see Las Ketchup.

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Ketchup (or catsup) is a popular condiment, usually made with ripened tomatoes. The basic ingredients in modern ketchup are tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Onions, celery, and other vegetables are frequent additions. In Australia, South Africa, Malaysia, New Zealand and the UK, ketchup is commonly referred to as tomato sauce.

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Ketchup has not always been made out of tomatoes. It started out as a general term for sauce, typically made of mushrooms or fish brine with herbs and spices. Some popular early main ingredients include anchovy, oyster, lobster, walnut, kidney bean, cucumber, cranberry, lemon, and grape.

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Two major commercial distributors of ketchup in the United States are the H. J. Heinz Company and ConAgra Foods (manufacturer of Hunt's brand).

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Condiment: A condiment is a substance applied to food, usually in the form of a sauce, powder, or spread, to enhance or improve the flavour. Condiments are typically smeared with knives, squirted, or sprinkled onto other foods....

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