Banana Ketchup

Banana Ketchup. Banana before tomato, mango behind it, mild curry over it.

Banana Ketchup is a fruity ketchup from Easton Reed made from banana puree, tomato paste and mango, seasoned with mild curry and cinnamon. Not tomato ketchup, not fruit spread, not hot sauce.

Banana Ketchup is Easton Reed's banana ketchup in a 280-milliliter jar, in which banana puree, at 25 percent, is just ahead of tomato paste.

The lid comes off, revealing a bright orange-red that has little in common with a red ketchup bottle. First, ripe banana rises, followed by warm curry.

On the spoon, the mass remains thick and shiny, flowing down only slowly. With a grilled chicken thigh, the plate is perfectly seasoned.

Banana first, tomato in the middle, curry last

The taste unfolds in three layers, with the tomato in the middle.

The banana comes across soft and round, without the perfumed note that a banana aroma would bring. An acid additive keeps the puree bright; otherwise, the fruit in the jar would darken.

Above it, the mango adds a second, lighter fruit with a slightly resinous tip. It is why this ketchup tastes tropical and not just sweet.

Only then does the tomato come into play, in two forms. Double-concentrated tomato paste provides color and depth, while diced tomatoes bring acidity and a light structure.

The curry emerges last, mild and warm, with an earthy note in the background. The cinnamon remains below one percent, only adding a sweet warmth.

At no point does it resemble baked goods; the dosage is too small for that. Onion and garlic are far down in the recipe and provide the savory base.

At 2.2 grams of salt per 100 grams, this jar is strongly seasoned. This is what keeps the ketchup on the savory side, even though a quarter of the contents consist of banana.

Anyone expecting the straightforward, acidic tomato taste of ordinary ketchup will find it too fruity. A sharp ingredient is completely missing from the recipe.

With chicken, it replaces marinade and dip at the same time

This ketchup works best where meat brings roasted aromas and the fruit adds something bright against it.

Spread two tablespoons on chicken thighs only in the last few minutes. The fruit sugar quickly darkens if it gets too much heat too early.

For a marinade, mix three tablespoons with one tablespoon of oil and a splash of soy sauce. 500 grams of chicken cubes marinate in it for half an hour and then go hot into the pan.

In fried rice, one tablespoon is enough for four servings, stirred in just before serving. With fried fish, the fruit balances the saltiness; one teaspoon per fillet is sufficient.

As a dip, the jar stands next to sweet potato fries, spring rolls, and fried vegetables. On a cheese toast with mature cheddar, one spoon does the job of both chutney and seasoning sauce.

For those who like it tomatoey and classic, reach for the ketchup with paprika and onion. It gets earthy with the truffle ketchup, and the other varieties are on the ketchup and relish shelf.

Even a grilled bratwurst benefits from a detour. Stir three tablespoons with a level teaspoon of curry powder to create a fruity variant of the familiar curry sauce.

For beginners: Do not stir it into a long-simmering sauce; there, the fruit will lose its freshness within minutes. It is also not suitable for mayonnaise-based cold sauces.

For centuries, ketchup was a sauce without tomato

The word ketchup does not come from tomato cuisine, but from Southeast Asian trade in salted fish.

It originally referred to the seasoned brine of fermented fish, as was common in South China and present-day Indonesia. English seafarers brought the word home in the 17th century.

The first English ketchups were cooked from mushrooms, walnuts, or anchovies. Tomatoes were not included, and for a long time, no one seemed to miss them.

Only in the early 19th century did the tomato establish itself as the base in the United States. Ketchup, therefore, inherently refers to a genre, not a fixed recipe.

Banana ketchup belongs to this genre, and it arose from a shortage. In the Philippines in the 1940s, tomatoes were scarce, but bananas were plentiful.

Food chemist Maria Ylagan Orosa is still considered the originator of the idea there. She worked to replace imported ingredients with local ones, and banana was the most obvious choice.

The Filipino original is usually colored red to make it look like tomato ketchup on the shelf. In this jar, real tomato paste takes on this task, which is why the color is orange.

Behind Easton Reed is Ryan's Specialties in Augsburg, a company with an American-influenced product range. This ketchup is the only recipe whose origin is not in North America.

Another difference from the original lies in the proportions. There, the banana carries the sauce almost alone; here, the tomato is almost equal at 24 percent.

This brings the taste closer to what is considered ketchup in this country. It makes it easier to get started, and the tropical side remains clearly recognizable.

The variety came to American shelves via the country's Filipino communities. There, it has long stood next to tomato ketchup, and this proximity is reflected in this range.

Fruity in the jar and still a seasoning sauce

What separates this ketchup from a mango chutney is less the taste than the dosage. It is served by the spoonful over the plate, not as a side dish.

Large fruit pieces are missing; only the diced tomato leaves some texture. The mass remains spreadable and does not run apart on a warm plate.

The color reveals the design even before the first spoonful. A pure tomato ketchup glows dark red; this jar is significantly lighter and goes into orange.

This is due to the ratio of the two main ingredients. A quarter banana and just under a quarter tomato paste together create a color that neither fruit alone would have.

The jar has no place on breakfast bread; it is too distinctly seasoned for that. Anyone looking for visible fruit pieces and an herbal note is better off with a chutney.

Once opened, the ketchup belongs in the refrigerator and remains pourable for several weeks. A quick stir before serving is enough if some liquid has separated at the top.

It works as a gift for people who already have several types of ketchup in their refrigerator. Together with two other varieties from the company, there is a small range for comparison on the table.

Once banana ketchup is placed next to grilled chicken, the red bottle next to it appears strikingly monotonous on the next plate.