And you lost me. I’ve tried, oh, how I’ve tried, to like tomatoes, but I just can’t. And yet the rest sounds so delicious I feel like Wile Coyote, once again willing to pursue the tasty tomato Roadrunner.
So, I have a ketchup-related question. Is ketchup used regularly outside North America?
I’ve always sort of assumed the answer is no, but I’ve seen it substituted in every now and again for tomato paste in “ethnic” (read: non north-american) recipes, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s happening either because it’s actually used elsewhere, or because the other flavour notes in ketchup (tart & umami/savory) are being used to help replace a hard-to-find ingredient in western supermarkets.
I can attest that it’s used in Moldova, but generally for “American style” things, like hamburgers or french fries. They save the mayonnaise for the pizza.
On topic, is there a premium ketchup that’s not insanely sweet and more savory (while still being a little sweet)?
I liked the regular Heinz stuff when I was a kid. Now I don’t have the taste for sweet stuff. The Heinz yellow mustard is preferable to any ketchup I’ve found so far, and that stuff is pretty middle of the road.
All kidding aside, some are Acme-ish, but are labeled to inspire trust. Googling should help identify the good stuff, but you never know; the mixes with good + rancid oil have been known to come from overseas, but I suspect the temptation to up profits is not just limited to foreign shores. (The really good stuff is green, and has a sort of peppery taste!)