I like ketchup.

I know this is sacrilege among those among us who fancy ourselves cooks/chefs. When I was in Paris once upon a time, a long time ago, they offered ketchup in small servings which they called "American sauce."

Ouch! Yes, it was a slam against American tastes, but that's what the French are all about, no?

Ketchup, also sometimes called catsup, has been around for a long time. I'm not energetic enough to look into its origins, or the origins of its name, but I suspect it may have started with the Heinz company in this country a long time ago.  I don't know for sure, so don't hold me to it.

What is ketchup?

It's a tomato-based sauce that has a zing that comes from vinegar and sugar and tomato and salt in a certain blend that makes it perfect for dipping our french fries into, and that lends a little something extra to burgers or hot dogs.

Not sure about you, but I always have a bottle in the pantry or, if opened, in the fridge.

Here's what a Heinz bottle says it contains: tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring.

I ran the same label test on a can of tomato sauce from a big grocery chain, and here's what it says: tomato concentrate, tomato paste, water, dehydrated onions, dehydrated garlic, spices, natural flavorings, sweet bell pepper.

One more trial: Chili Sauce. Tomato puree (tomato paste, water, high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, salt, corn syrup, dried onions, spice, natural flavors.)

So what are we to make of all that?

It seems to me that the different blendings of pretty much the same ingredients comes down to the recipe. Heinz -- or whoever -- figured out, early on, how to put together all the same things -- the tomato concentrate, the salt, the spices, the whatever -- and came up with what we call ketchup.

Voila!

In the end, it doesn't matter who invented it, as ketchup is a staple in any kitchen in America. How could you serve those oven-ready tater tots without ketchup? How you order fries -- what the French call pomme frites -- without it? How could you serve burgers without a bottle of ketchup standing by?

The world of cooking is full of wonderful sauces -- a la the French and many other countries/cuisines --but most have to be cooked by chefs who know what they're doing. Only a few -- mayonnaise and mustards and, yes, ketchup -- come bottled and ready to buy at the supermarket.

When it comes to ketchup, I say go with the cheapest, since they all contain pretty much the same ingredients. With mayo, it varies, as some are richer in taste than others (and cost more); I would say go with the safflower brands, but that's a personal preference. Mustards? I'm at a loss, as I'm not a big mustard fan. You might want to have a squeeze bottle of the yellow store brand on hand and also a Dijon, but beyond that I'm not help. As with wine, go with your taste, not the price tag.

When you think of ketchup, think tart and tomato and sweet. No tomato sauce or paste comes close. Those are for basic cooking, but ketchup is more for adding later as a condiment, although I've found that it works well in stews and soups.  Add it late in the cooking, for a little extra zest.

In the end, don't look down on ketchup, as the French and lots of my snooty chef-wanna-be friends do.  It has a place in your pantry and in your kitchen and in your mouth, where it compliments lots of dishes well.

Can you imagine eating fried shrimp without what is called seafood sauce?  Ketchup is its base.  (Plus some horseradish and whatever else.)  Ever had good meatballs as a cheap hors-d'ouvre?  Likely the sauce started with ketchup -- or chili sauce, a variation.  

Voila ketchup! The Great American Sauce!

Pass the french fries, okay? I've got the munchies.