This article will talk about the tomato ketchup and its wholesale price. While your definition of ketchup may be a tall bottle filled with a thick, sweet, red liquid, in other parts of the world ketchup may be very different from your trusted tomato-based favorite.
- Ketchup - history
Ketchup has undergone several reforms over the centuries. It probably began life in Asia as a clarified fish sauce and migrated to Europe via trade routes in the 1600s. Many names have also been given to ketchup, possibly cultural adaptations of the Chinese words ke-tsiap or koe-chiap, which may further evoke the story of this king of spices. We know that early ketchups were bulkier than sweet and sporty ingredients like soy, fish juices, nuts, and mushrooms. As each culture adopts the ketchup-like sauce, it adds its own local ingredients and probably changes the name slightly [source: Mitchell]. What is ketchup? With all these potential ingredients, what makes ketchup stand out as a unique sauce? Well, maybe part of it is the way it's used. Ketchup is usually a condiment, not an ingredient in food. It is often added to a prepared dish rather than being included in the creation of the dish itself. Ketchup also usually has a vinegar base, which makes it resistant to bacterial growth. As a result, it stores well at room temperature. 
- Ketchup beats tomatoes
Immigrants brought ketchup with them to North America, and in the late 1700s New England fishermen introduced a new element, the fruit of a plant they brought back from their travels south: tomatoes. As soon as the ketchup went red, there were many variations of the tart, flavored sauce that included this new ingredient. In 1876, Heinz added a sweet tomato-based ketchup to its popular line of condiments, and a classic was born [source: Kerrigan].
- International ketchup
In other countries, the story of ketchup is a little different. Good old American ketchup is sweet, but tart types are their international defenders. Ketchups with something other than a tomato base, such as British mushroom ketchup, have a long history and are also involved. Fruit-based ketchups like grape or tamarind, or made with peppers or nuts instead of tomatoes, aren't too hard to find. Although they share the same name as ketchup, they all have different flavors and regional followings. Even among tomato ketchups, flavors can vary widely, usually due to the addition of different spices, such as curry, or changes in ingredient proportions. Some ketchups are sweet, while others are more bitter and definitely not suitable for children. You might ask if this is all really ketchup. Some sound suspiciously like relish or lutenica. Well, you can always take a walk on the wild side and try some for yourself. 
This is an international tour that you can take during your lunch break; all you need is an adventurous spirit. The bus departs from the international portal of your market and you don't even need to check the currency exchange rate. You might think it's crazy, but McDonald's food tastes different than most other fast food restaurants. Of course, most of them have the same basic menu: burgers, chicken and fries. But there's something about the way McDonald's makes its food that makes it premium. We already know that McDonald's coke and apple pie is next level. But what about something you enjoy more often than soda or dessert? Ketchup. That's right, McDonald's ketchup tastes different — and some would say better — than what you get at the store. And no, it's not just Heinz ketchup disguised as a McDonald's package. McDonald's makes its own ketchup. The first McDonald's opened in 1955, and in the 1970s Mickey D's partnered with ketchup giant Heinz. Heinz has been providing McDonald's customers with fan-favorite ketchup packets for over 40 years. In 2013, however, Heinz was acquired by a new company with a new CEO, Bernado Hees. Hees was the former CEO of McDonald's fast-food competitor Burger King. Because of Hees' history with Burger King, McDonald's decided to end its 40-year partnership with Heinz and instead produce its own ketchup. That's how this new tomato gold turned out. When the partnership between McDonald's and Heinz ended in 2013, McDonald's began offering its own "Fancy" cup. Fancy is a USDA grade that certifies that this is quality ketchup (Heinz is also considered Fancy ketchup). Fancy ketchup is a Grade A American ketchup that has good color, good consistency, good flavor and is free from defects, according to the USDA. Grade A ketchup must also contain at least 33% tomato solids - making it thick enough to stay on your food. 
It's true that there are only three different ingredients between McDonald's ketchup and Heinz ketchup, but there is a difference. McDonald's ketchup consists of tomato concentrate from ripe red tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, salt and natural flavors. Heinz doesn't have water like McDonald's and Heinz has onion powder and "spice" and McDonald's doesn't. To test the ketchups, we did a taste test between McDonald's ketchup and Heinz ketchup. We dipped the McDonald's fries in room temperature McDonald's ketchup, then room temperature Heinz ketchup (we wanted to keep the temperature the same in case it changed the texture or taste). Here are the results: Heinz: The Heinz ketchup was thick and coated the fries well. It tasted like tomatoes but had a big kick of spice. McDonald's: The McDonald's ketchup was a bit thinner so it didn't cover the fry as much. It tasted mostly like a sweet tomato without much spice. Almost like tomato soup. Although there are only minor differences in the ingredient list, the taste of these two ketchups is significantly different. And if you want a sweeter, heavier tomato flavor, then McDonald's ketchup is for you. Okay, so maybe you've never thought about this ketchup question. But the next time you order a Big Mac, you'll definitely notice. Admittedly, ketchup and steak is a controversial combination, but this is not the place to judge. 
So if you decide to enjoy it (talking to you, President Trump), you might as well get the tastiest brand of ketchup on that slab of grilled meat. The Bia & Bia team sampled 12 ketchup brands as part of our monthly focus on Thirst: Steak. You will find the results in the photo gallery at the top of this article. Click on the photos to find out how your favorite brand has fared. (Interested in more taste tests? See how national brands of mayonnaise and ketchup fare.) Tomato ketchup is so ubiquitous that it's easy to dismiss it as a simple dip to go with fries, meatloaf, scrambled eggs and, if you're far from Chicago, hot dogs. (On that basis, we judge: Don't!) But ketchup has a fascinating complexity. Chef Christopher Prosperi, a longtime friend of mine in Connecticut, always said that ketchup combines all five fundamentals: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. As for ketchup on steak, the combination celebrated by Trump during his first visit to a restaurant in Washington, DC, as president, a 2017 survey by Public Policy Polling found that 56 percent of 800 registered voters, who were contacted with them, disagree with it as “steak season. ” Even Trump supporters were angry, with 52 percent disapproving. Such a reaction seems to echo an old ad that promises "Juicy steak and Heinz's rich tomato ketchup is every man's favorite winning combination." But then an October 2017 survey by Mintel, the market research firm, of 1,919 adult Internet users who had bought condiments or dressings in the previous six months, found that 30 percent of them reported using ketchup with "dishes with red meat." . (69 percent used ketchup on a sandwich, 44 percent as an ingredient in a recipe, and a brave 7 percent admitted to using ketchup on pizza.) For this tasting, I decided to forgo the steak because you can only ask for so much from the co-workers. I also considered and refused to pair ketchup with a hot dog or fries - honestly pizza was not on my mind.