Was Ketchup Used As a Medicine?

Do you know was ketchup used as a medicine in 1800a? Tomatoes were originally considered “poison apples” by the Europeans after aristocrats died consuming imported tomatoes from Africa. Later it was found that the acidity of tomatoes triggered lead poisoning from the pewter plates. 

What Was Ketchup Originally Invented For?

Ketchup was originally a fish and mushroom sauce that was brown in color. It was invented by the Chinese as a condiment similar to soy sauce. They named it “ke-tsiap” which meant fermented fish sauce. 

Ketchup Was Used as Medicine

Dr. John Cooke Bennett mixed both and sold the modified concoction in the form of tomato pills with the help of Archibald Miles. Together they claimed that these pills had the ability to treat diarrhea, indigestion, jaundice, and rheumatism.   

Evolution of Ketchup

Following the spike in sales, many other pill manufacturers started selling similar pills made of laxatives under the pretext that they could cure any disease known to man.  These false claims led to the decline of sales in the 1850s. 

Heinz brought ketchup back again in 1869 as a dip after the taste of these tomato pills was still remembered fondly by many Americans.

Fun Facts About Ketchup

1. Walnut ketchup was Jane Austen’s (Pride and Prejudice) favorite.
2. European’s still consume mushroom ketchup.
3. The first ketchup was slightly alcoholic.
4. Heinz used clear ketchup bottles after people got suspicious with few manufacturers using coal tar as preservatives.
5. Ketchup defies the laws of Newton. Find out why it won’t spill out even after endless shaking.
6. Botanists consider tomatoes as fruits and culinarians consider them as veggies.
7. Eating hotdogs with ketchup is frowned upon in Chicago.
8. Heinz uses a high concentration of tomatoes, sugar, and white vinegar to make their ketchup taste better.
9. A study has shown that the chances of children trying out new foods increased when dipped in ketchup.
10. Illinois has the most number of ketchup records.

Are you saucy enough to play a game of trivia?