Hamburgers and hot dogs are staples of the North American backyard barbecue. At this time of year when it feels like summer is slipping away, we’re even willing to fight off wasps for our favourite grilled ground beef sandwich. But what would a hamburger or hot dog be without mustard or ketchup?
And what are the origins of our staple barbecue condiments?
Mustard is used in almost every country around the world but it seems that mustard as a condiment began in China. According to Wikipedia, yellow mustard paste originated in China during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC) where the mustard seeds were ground and made into paste to help whet the appetite for the later courses in the meal.
The name mustard probably comes from the Roman Empire. Romans mixed fermented grape juice (the must) with ground mustard seeds to create mustard.
A cookbook from 1390 shows that mustard was being used as a continent in England. It was prepared in the form of mustard balls Coarse-ground mustard seed was combined with flour and cinnamon, moistened, rolled into balls and dried for storage.
The use of mustard as a hot dog condiment was first seen in the United States at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair when the bright yellow French’s mustard was introduced. “Hot dog” mustard is now the most common prepared mustard in North America.
Before prepared mustard was readily available, our grandmothers “made” mustard. Mustard powder was combined with vinegar, water, flour and other ingredients such as lemon juice, wine and cinnamon. Many would have used Coleman’s mustard powder from England which has been sold in the company’s trademark rectangular yellow tin since 1814.
Ketchup (or catsup) is even more widely used in North America than mustard. Americans stereotypically pour ketchup on “everything”. Ironically, Canadians have ketchup potato chips that are not available in the USA.
Ketchup is a sweet and sour condiment made with tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, seasoning and spices. Heinz is the market leader in ketchup, although some Canadians refuse to buy that brand. In 2014 Kraft Heinz sold off its 100-year-old tomato processing plant in Leamington, Ont. leaving local farmers and workers in the lurch. French, the company that took over the factory, won over many patriotic Canadian consumers. Heinz returned to Canada in 2020 to produce ketchup at its factory in Mont Royal, Quebec.
Scholars believe the word “ketchup” comes from the Hokkien Chinese word ke-tsiap. the name of a sauce derived from fermented fish that looks like soy sauce. It is believed traders brought fish sauce from Vietnam to England and tried to replicate the fermented dark sauce.
Tomatoes originated in South America and were introduced to England in the 1500s. However, tomatoes were not eaten in England for centuries because some people considered them to be poisonous. An 18th-century English book included a recipes for ketchup made from oysters, mussels, mushrooms, celery and fruits such as plums and peaches. Components were either boil down into a syrup consistency or left to ferment with salt.
In 1812 a US scientist published the first recipe for tomato paste ketchup. Later vinegar became a standard ketchup ingredient to keep it from spoiling.
No doubt the bright red colour of ketchup accounts for some of its popularity. Some brands add red food dye but French and Heinz do not add artificial colour to their ketchup.
Despite the wasps, I’m going to enjoy the last barbecue of summer by grilling some pastured beef and decorating the burger with ketchup and mustard.
