A blind taste test turns up some surprises

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A blind taste test turns up some surprises

Thursday, June 29, 2000

Most ketchups are sweet because they are designed for consumption by children. According to the H. J. Heinz Co. annual report, children 6 to 12 years old are the biggest consumers of ketchup, followed closely by those 12 to 18. It's no surprise to know who the biggest McDonald's customers are.

Chefs do it --
on the sly
No, you won't find ketchup bottles on the tables in four-star restaurants. In the back of the house, in the kitchen, is where you find ketchup.
According to the March 2000 issue of Food and Wine magazine, famous New York four-star chefs are using ketchups is some of their fabulous sauces. Why? They call it their secret weapon.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Jean Georges combines it with soy sauce, vinegar and butter to make a silky sauce for cod.
Chanterelle's David Waltuck makes a sweet ginger-and-ketchup-spiked sauce that he uses for everything from dipping Vidalia onion fritters to glazing crisp chicken thighs.
At Lespinasse, for heaven's sake, Christian Delouvrier sauces pork with a blend of ketchup, soy sauce and honey because, he says, he likes the complex sweet and tangy flavors. When the Frenchman came to the U.S., he swore he'd never even dip a pomme frite in ketchup. But his kids made him try it, and he turned into a fan. "I guess after almost 30 years in the U.S. you have to learn to love ketchup," he says.
Star chef Gray Kunz is set to open a restaurant in Manhattan and he's bringing his ketchup recipes with him. To make a tangy sauce for grilled fish and shrimp, Kunz blends ketchup with seasonings, spices and that thick, sweet Indonesian soy sauce, kejap manis, the name that started it all.
Ketchup. What goes around, comes around.

Knowing what the kids like, we turned to professional tasters. Dave DeSimone, Post-Gazette wine writer, and Greg Godels, vice president of Gateway Wine and Spirits, were part of a panel of seven, chosen for their broad and tolerant food experience.

The ketchups were sampled in a blind tasting, each one tasted from a spoon with only oyster crackers and water to cleanse the palate. They were sampled a second time with french fries.

Traditional ketchups

Hunt's Ketchup, California, 32 ounces, $ 1.79. One of the top three national brands, along with Del Monte and Heinz. Tasters judged it sweet, clean and fresh tasting, with just a good amount of piquancy. A traditional ketchup with nice texture and "a good finish." Great with fries.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup, U.K. 12 ounces (340 grams), $4.95. Good zesty flavor, but sweeter than expected. This backs up the stats that say the Brits like their ketchup sweet. Somewhat thin, but would be great on home fries, tasters said.

Del Monte Ketchup, California, 24 ounces, $1.49. Good, simple, direct, fresh and "normal" but undistinguished described this one.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Pittsburgh, Pa., 36 ounces, $2.25. The big Kahuna in sales and marketing was identified as Heinz by only one taster. Still, it got high marks for color and flavor. Voluptuous consistency, said one. Lasts on the tongue, said another. And everybody said, "Good with everything, great for fries."

Muir Glen Organic Tomato Ketchup, California, 28 ounces, $3.95. The panel favorite was judged rich, thick and more complex than the others, although the color tended to brownish. Tasters picked up fruity tones, spices and salt. "This sure isn't Heinz," one said. "But it would be great on many things."

Baron Tomato Ketchup, St. Lucia, West Indies, 14 ounces, $3.95. Who let this one in? It was called odd with a weird secondary taste and an ugly finish. Nobody came close to liking it, and it was the only ketchup left on the table after everybody went home with a favorite bottle or two.

Specialty ketchups

Specialty ketchups walk a thin line with barbecue sauce on one side, chili sauce on the other. All are bottled, spiced, tomato-based condiments. These are adult ketchups that require an adventurous palate.

Cowboy Catsup with Jalapenos, The El Paso Chile Co., Texas, 12 ounces, $5.95. The Cowboy's first ingredient is ketchup. It's a common practice by manufacturers to "doctor" the product. Eyebrows shot up with the first taste, but all liked the chile kick and noted the lumpy texture.

Heinz Chili Sauce, Pittsburgh, PA, 12 ounces, $1.99. OK, so we threw in a ringer. And it turned out to be the class favorite. Good acidity, great texture, peppy, nice balance, oh-so-red, excellent with everything. One taster said, "I'd like to have this in my refrigerator." Guess what? He already did.

Mrs. Tomato Head Roasted Garlic Peppercorn Catsup, California, 13 ounces, $3.95. Looks like barbecue sauce, too "single noted," spicy, but not a favorite on anybody's score sheet.

Fox's Fine Foods Gourmet Ketchup with Chipotle Chilies, California, 12 ounces, $4.95. Sort of good flavor with decent heat, but mostly forgettable.

Jonny's Love Apple Spicy Chipotle Catsup, Merion, Pa., 13 ounces, $3.95. This private label is available only from ketchupworld.com. But the unsubtle, sweet, too-hot profile gave this one low marks.

Smoky Catsup, Larry Forgione's American Spoon, Michigan, 7 ounces, $4.25. Very tasty, but flavor is too close to ordinary smoky barbecue sauce, and pricey into the bargain. Thumbs down.

Burkhardt's Curry-Ketchup au Curry, Germany, 28 ounces (800 ml.) $6.95. The unexpected flavor didn't go over with the panel. But a few days later, the curry ketchup, tasted on its own, made a terrific dip for grilled chicken and it added nip to deviled eggs. Definite keeper, but think sauce, not ketchup.