The Ultimate Condiment Showdown: Ketchup vs. Mustard

You know ‘em, and moreover, love ‘em, those iconic food pairings like peanut butter and jelly, mac and cheese, or pickles and ice cream. While it’s hard to say who first put ketchup and mustard on the same dog or burger, we can trace their individual histories and see that both rose to icon status in the U.S. early in the 20th century, and thus was only a matter of time before the dynamic duo found each other in a smearable love story for the ages.

But it’s 2018, and in the spirit of winners and losers and nothing in between, we’re pitting ketchup (or ‘catsup,’ if you’re fancy) against mustard (or ‘moutarde,’ if you’re French), in the sauciest of summer showdowns. Game on!

History

Ketchup, the self-proclaimed “king of condiments” is derived from a Hokkien Chinese word, kê-tsiap, that is traced back as far as the 17th century. Original versions would be virtually unrecognizable, comprised mainly of mushrooms along with flavoring agents like fermented fish, oysters, and even walnuts. It wasn’t until 1812 when tomatoes were introduced. Mixed with brandy, spices, and preservatives like sodium benzoate, ketchup’s popularity spiked in part for its (comparatively) long shelf life and as a means for preserving tomatoes.

Pittsburgh ketchup-maker Henry Heinz reinvented the sauce in the early 1900s using pectin-rich ripe tomatoes and vinegar as natural preservatives (instead of increasingly unpopular chemicals) and ketchup began to enjoy a full-on frenzy. As Heinz perfected his sauce, complicated and unnecessary home recipes began to vanish from cookbooks and Heinz would come to dominate the condiment category. These days a bottle can be found in roughly 97 percent of American households and nearly every restaurant the world over.

Vintage ad, Heinz Ketchup/Facebook

Mustard’s journey starts long before ketchup’s but ends in a somewhat similar place. Now a multi-billion dollar market, modern mustard first emerged in Europe in the sixth century B.C.E. and mustard seeds have been found even further back in fossils, traced to the Mesopotamian empire (Middle East) circa 3000 B.C.E. and in catacombs of Egyptian Pharaohs. Both Greeks and Romans ate a version of prepared mustard mixing mustard seeds with grape must and spices, and finally jotted down an official recipe in 42 A.D.

Around the 10th century, mustard had made its way to the English and French countrysides and, over the next several centuries, several versions would emerge, including an especially popular variety made with white wine in the small French village of Dijon by Maurice Grey and his financier, Auguste Poupon.

As big a hit as it was overseas, mustard didn’t find its footing in the U.S. until Robert French (R.T. French Company) introduced a mild yellow version as a hot dog condiment during the St. Louis World’s Fair (1904).

Chowhound’s Spicy Yellow Mustard

French’s yellow mustard would enjoy dominance until 1981 when Grey Poupon capitalized on the luxury-obsessed era with their “Pardon Me” ad campaign, featuring Gordon Gekko-esque businessmen eating it with steak in the back of Rolls Royces. Though it’s never overtaken yellow mustard, versatile Dijon and spicy English earned adoration both as a condiment and as a base for salad dressings, sauces, and marinades.

• Point: Ketchup (for coming such a long way in such a short time)

Popularity

While an informal poll done on Facebook (by me) saw mustard edge out ketchup 23-20, mustard sales were just $433 million in 2017 compared to ketchup’s staggering $765 million (statista.com). French’s is still the top-selling mustard brand, claiming a third of the U.S. market with Grey Poupon rolling in at roughly 15 percent and private labels rounding out the rest. Heinz dominates all challengers, yellow or red, with Hunts a distant second in the ketchup category. And while mustard seed is second only to peppercorns as far as spices, ketchup is literally freaking everywhere. Check your desk drawer, there’s a packet in there, I promise.

• Point: Ketchup

The ubiquitous packet, Heinz Ketchup/Facebook

Influence

Pope John Paul XXIII allegedly loved mustard so much that in the early 1300s, he created a position in the Vatican called Grand Moutardier du Pape, or “Mustard Maker to the Pope.” Others like Queen Victoria followed suit and, in 1866, appointed Jeremiah Colman, founder of Colman’s Mustard of England, her official “mustard maker.”

Ketchup has some political pull of its own. Thomas Jefferson’s cousin, Mary Randolph, was apparently such a fan she included a recipe in her influential 19th-century cookbook, “The Virginia Housewife.” And who could forget the 2004 election when ketchup heiress Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Dem nominee John Kerry, was just a measly 19 electoral votes from the White House.

• Point: Mustard

Chowhound’s Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

Fanaticism

What would our modern world be without those “take it too far” people? Former Wisconsin Attorney General Barry Levenson operates the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, where he houses his collection of over 5,000 mustards from more than 60 countries, along with loads of mustardy memorabilia. He apparently loves the condiment so much that he shaves with it, much to the horror of his undoubtedly exhausted wife.

Not to be outdone, Ralph Finch of Farmington Hills, Mich. has become America’s most prolific ketchup collector and blames “having to mask his mother’s terrible cooking” for the lifelong obsession. His collection, however, clocks in at a paltry few hundred bottles plus memorabilia, but fear not: Finch recently cashed in a life insurance policy early to expand the collection in a valiant attempt to catsup to Levenson.

• Point: Mustard

Chowhound’s Corn Dogs

Taste

This is a tricky one, as taste is decidedly subjective. Most culinary-minded folks might cast their ballots for mustard, citing complexity of flavor, range of haute options, and French association, but consider this 2004 New Yorker article, “The Ketchup Conundrum,” where Malcolm Gladwell uncovers that ketchup, specifically Heinz, is the rare food with extremely high “amplitude;” a word sensory experts use to describe flavors that are well-blended and balanced and “bloom” in the mouth. It’s a logical reason that other brands, large and small, struggle to make a dent in Heinz’s market share, and while mustard offers far more interesting and tasty versions of itself, good ketchup delivers “sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami flavors, harmoniously and all at once.” Let’s call it a draw.

• Point: Tie

Related Video: 5 Hot Dogs with Unusual Proteins

Culture

Save for Grey Poupon with its iconic ‘80s ad campaign and subsequent hip hop obsession, both have remained relatively tame when it comes to big sweeping cultural references.

Ketchup is the most accessible and affordable form of fake blood for amateur filmmakers and pranksters in a pinch, while lethal wartime agent “Mustard Gas” (not actually mustard, but named for its similar smell) gained infamy in World Wars I and II.

“Put some mustard on it”—the most popular of mustard-related idioms—means to add some energy or speed to something, while “it’s like putting ketchup on a steak” means you’re ruining something good by adding a lesser (in this case, ketchup) element. Kind of rude.

• Point: Tie

Classic condiment showdown, Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

Health

Mustard is the clear winner here, known to bring relief for a myriad of ailments including joint pain, skin problems, and even poor respiratory health. It also clocks in at just five calories per serving (give or take) while ketchup, containing sugar and roughly 20 calories per serving, claims very few health benefits.

• Point: Mustard

Chowhound’s Sweet Hot Mustard

Versatility

Another clear decisive win for mustard, which can be found in some of our favorite salad dressings, sauces, and comes in everything from sweet and sassy honey mustards to deep, dark and spicy browns. Ketchup has made its way into various sauces and recipes like meatloaf and, in Spain, they mix it with mayo, creating a heavenly dip. But its destiny seems to be cemented simply as the world’s most popular standalone condiment. Certainly nothing to shake a hot dog at.

• Point: Mustard

Chowhound’s Animal-Style Burgers

Social Media

With the major players sticking to a fairly traditional social playbook, save for this incredible and likely fake Hunts account, Heinz crushes all with over 41,000 followers on Twitter and 137,000 on Instagram. Grey Poupon, with just over 1,000 followers, follows exactly zero other accounts back and, to date, has only ever liked two other tweets. Somehow the most French thing ever.

French’s Mustard, on the other hand, will be damned if anyone thinks the brand itself, which was simple-founded by a guy named Bob French, is actually French and uses its borderline Franco-phobic banner photo to dissuade the Twittersphere of any such notion. Relax, you guys.

Clarification, French’s/Facebook

See? Not French.

And finally, in July of this year, Heinz tried to capitalize on the misfortune of baseball fan Bill Baffes, who landed a glob of yellow mustard roughly the size of Delaware on his left cheek and was (obviously) caught on camera. Heinz (who also makes yellow mustard) pounced on Baffes’ gaffe, offering him season tickets to the ballpark if their tweet hit 10,000 likes. It did, but in a dark twist, Baffes, who coincidentally owns a small grocery store on the south side of Chicago, saw an opportunity to snag a little buzz of his own and launched a promotion giving away free bottles of, wait for it….French’s yellow mustard.

You can’t make this stuff up, and even if you could…would you want to?

• Point: Bill Baffes

Bill Baffes, NBC Sports Chicago

American Icons

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New England Clambakes Are Deeply Rooted in American History

Have you ever eaten seafood, fresh from the ocean, right on the beach where it was caught? Cooked it with wood and seaweed scavenged from nearby, in a hole you dug in the sand with your family, friends, or neighbors? I might be oversimplifying it, but if you haven’t attended a clambake like this, you’re missing out on one of the most unique outdoor dining experiences in the U.S.

The New England clambake can make you feel like a kid again, connecting you with nature and the people you love in a beautiful setting. It’s a way to enjoy food as ritual, community, and sustenance, all in one. But its history, based on myth and nation-building, might surprise you.

Invented Traditions on the Half Shell

According to Kathy Neustadt, author of “Clambake: A History and Celebration of an American Tradition,” the clambake originated right after the American Revolution. In the 1770s, an old colony club in Plymouth, Mass. began putting on a Forefathers Day feast to commemorate the English Pilgrims and the foods they were imagined to have eaten. These feasts became increasingly political, as newly minted Americans tried to define their culture as an independent nation. By the end of the 18th century, the name of the event had changed to “The Feast of Shells,” which is a nod to the religious pilgrims who follow the Road to Santiago, as symbolized by scallop shells.

With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution and increased modes of transportation in the 1800s, more people had time for tourism and leisure activities, such as picnics and barbecues. As a result, the clambake became a popular pastime. “It was a great way to feed a lot of people,” says Neustadt, “ and could be tied to our national history and culture.” But it wasn’t just for small gatherings with family anymore. In fact, on July 4, 1840, then-presidential candidate William Henry Harrison threw a huge clambake in Rhode Island for approximately 10,000 people to garner votes.

Le Creme de la Crumb’s Sheet Pan Clambake

Much like Thanksgiving, the lore around the origin of the clambake was often romanticized by including stories of native peoples teaching the Pilgrims how to collect and cook shellfish and share in the bounty of the New World. In reality, while there is evidence that local tribes in New England and New York did forage for clams and roast them for preservation in large numbers, there was no ritual celebration connected to that activity. Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald, authors of “America’s Founding Food: The Story of New England Cooking,” also point out that the Pilgrims associated eating clams with scarcity and being lower-class. While they were necessary food, at times, for survival, clams were also fed to livestock and used as bait for catching bigger and better fish, such as cod and haddock.

Related Video: How to Get Your Clams Squeaky Clean

How to Do a Proper Bake

By the late 19th century, enterprising entrepreneurs were catering clambakes all along the East Coast. Over a century later, these types of events are still big business. There are hundreds of restaurants and caterers in the Northeast where you can eat a clambake meal without having to do all the work. But if you want to do a proper bake, says Neustadt, you’ll need to follow these basic instructions:

First, dig a hole. Then, gather some wood and use it to build a fire in the hole. Once it’s good and hot, add some rocks, either right on top or around the edges. Let the fire burn down to glowing embers and get those rocks heated up (it may take a few hours). Then, layer some seaweed—preferably rockweed, with those little air sacs you loved to pop as a kid—on top of the hot rocks and start adding in your food. The clams go on the bottom so that, when they open up, their briny juices don’t drip all over everything else. Next, put in whatever you’d like: potatoes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, sausage, maybe some other type of fish or even lobster (if you’re in Maine).

Chowhound’s Stovetop Clambake

Top it all off with another layer of seaweed, seal the hole with a wooden board and cover it up with sand. Let everything steam for at least an hour. Wipe away the sand, remove the wooden board and the top layer of seaweed, and there you have it; your clambake is ready to divvy up and enjoy.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see put together,” says Michelle Mulford, co-founder of Uncommon Feasts, a catering company based in Brookline, Mass. that has put on several clambakes for clients on mid-coast Maine beaches. “It’s very elemental. You can collect the ingredients locally, so it’s the quintessential farm-to-table experience. It’s a fun project. But it’s very labor intensive.”

Neustadt, who has been to many clambakes over the years as part of her research and for her own enjoyment, agrees. “I like to think that this is a quintessential Yankee activity…it requires a whole lot of people working together,” she says. “I think everybody ought to do it. It’s a part of my life.”

“Ironically,” she adds, “I don’t eat clams, I’m allergic to them. I eat everything else.” She laughs. “But it doesn’t always end up being about eating it.”

Pro Tip: If you happen to be on the New England coast in August, check the local paper for clambake event listings, which are often hosted by fire stations, grange halls and churches.

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How to Make Your Vegan Burger Awesome

The Strange History and Evolution of McDonald’s Hamburglar

Every hero needs a villain. That’s why Ronald McDonald finally got the foil he deserved in 1971, with the emergence of the Hamburglar, a Zorro-like crusader who would stop at nothing to steal and hoard his favorite McDonald’s products all for himself. In terms of fast food mascots, the Hamburglar is one of the most recognizable, as well as one of the most mischievous. He may lack the majesty of the Burger King or the youth of Wendy’s redheaded girl, but he has something the others lack—a hunger. Even if his attempts at burger thievery are often bungled, there’s something admirable about his relentless and Sisyphean pursuit of a cheeseburger.

So how did this bizarre character come to be? In the ’70s, McDonald’s hired the marketing firm Needham, Harper & Steers to help promote its new “playplaces” attached to some of its restaurants. These spaces were essentially indoor playgrounds featuring ball pits, slides, and other equipment for its youngest customers to enjoy after loading up on burgers and fries. The new advertising campaign featured Ronald McDonald (who had been around for nearly a decade prior), as well as a host of other characters who all lived in a magical fast food universe known simply as “McDonaldland.”  These characters included Mayor McCheese, the Fry Kids, Grimace, and the infamous Hamburglar, all of whom would prove wildly successful, bringing further recognition to a brand that was already ubiquitous to a younger generation.

When he was first introduced, the Hamburglar was an  older gentleman with a pointy nose and gray hair. He also wore a white t-shirt with the cryptic phrase “Lone Jogger,” which he was sometimes also referred to. That nickname was never explicitly explained, though one can presume he was simply running alone in the pursuit of more burgers. He also spoke a gibberish language which was translated by his McDonaldland compatriot, Captain Crook.

While the character’s design evolved in the decades that followed, he always remained an impish presence with the same eponymous motivation. By the 1980s the Hamburglar was still a regular mainstay in commercials and promotional materials, however it was around this time that he received a major makeover. Sporting a short hat, bright red hair, a tie, and gloves, the character became less a troll and more of a child. He was now a Dennis the Menace-like trickster, one who was just as interested in burgers, but less interested in stealing them. His previously unintelligible mutterings were also replaced with an actual catchphrase. “Robble robble!” became his rallying cry. It was this image that would became his most familiar.

McDonald’s

While the McDonaldland gang would persist for decades, these characters, with the exception of Ronald McDonald, were eventually phased out of marketing campaigns in the early 2000s. However the Hamburglar did come back for one final theft in 2015. In an effort to promote their new Sirloin Third Pound burger, the company revealed a more adult take on the classic character. This version of the Hamburglar was decked out in a trench coat and fedora and looked more like something out of a hipster’s nightmare than a child’s imagination. While successful in garnering plenty of attention and eye rolls, this campaign quickly died out. The Hamburglar’s current whereabouts may be unknown but he’ll live on in our hearts and stomachs every time we pass the golden arches.

Related Video: How to Make a Copycat McDonald’s McRib

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Award-Winning Pecan-Crusted Nashville Hot Chicken

This post brought to you in partnership with American Pecans.

We love any excuse to try a new chicken recipe, especially Hot Chicken! A few months ago, our friends at American Pecans hosted the #NotJustPie contest on Instagram and Twitter, asking fans to break pecans out of the pie shell and show off their best non-pie pecan recipes, and it’s clear why this Pecan-Crusted Nashville Hot Chicken came out on top.

Continue reading "Award-Winning Pecan-Crusted Nashville Hot Chicken" »

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The Secret to Cooking Flawless Seafood: Oil Poached Fish is Perfect Every Time

While fish has a reputation for being finicky—falling apart or drying out all too easily—with a little loving care, you can cook it to flaky, tender perfection. If you want a totally fool-proof method, cooking en papillote (in parchment or foil packets) is a great choice. But you could go one better and poach your fish in oil, for the most succulent piece of tuna, salmon, halibut, or cod you’ve ever had.

It’s basically confit for fish instead of duck, and it’s almost impossible to overcook it using this method, plus you can change up the flavorings any way you like. Despite what you might think, the fish doesn’t come out sodden with grease, just lightly slicked—even more lightly if you blot the surface gently with a towel before serving—and rich and silky straight on through. True, you miss out on crisp-seared skin, but you can always add a crunchy element to the plate for contrast. (That crunchy element could even be the skin itself, if you trim it off first and turn into pescatarian bacon of sorts…)

Coley Cooks

Here’s what to do:

1. Select your fish. Oil poaching works particularly well for firm, meaty fish like tuna, salmon, swordfish, halibut, and mahi mahi. However, you can try it with any other type, from tilapia to flounder, and even shrimp or scallops. For fish fillets, you can leave the skin on (it’ll slip right off later), but for shrimp, peel and devein them before poaching. You can let the fish sit out at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes beforehand for faster cooking, but it’s not necessary either.

2. Select your oil. You don’t want to use the most expensive, super-premium olive oil you can find for this, but you also don’t want it to be bottom-shelf stuff. Choose an oil that tastes good on its own that’s also in a price range you’re comfortable with, or go for a more neutral type, like canola, avocado, or grapeseed oil.

3. Select your aromatics and seasonings. Garlic, lemon, and fresh or dried herbs like thyme and dill are classic flavors, but you can choose other combinations if you like—think ginger and sesame, fennel and saffron, or red pepper flakes and orange zest, all of which will infuse the oil and the fish. Or, you can keep it simpler with just salt and pepper, and then dress the fish with a more complex sauce when it’s done.

4. Place the fish and aromatics in a baking dish. Spread your fish in a single layer in a relatively deep vessel; what kind you use depends on how much fish you’re cooking, and what form it’s in (for instance, an 8-inch square pan might suffice for cooking two tuna steaks, but you’ll need a casserole dish for a whole side of salmon). In addition to being large enough to hold all your fish, it should be at least one or two inches deeper than your fish is thick, because you’ll need to cover it completely with the oil. Tuck your flavorings like lemon slices and herb sprigs evenly in among the fillets or steaks and sprinkle a little salt and freshly cracked black pepper over all of that (plus any dry spices you may be using), and rub gently into the surface of the fish for good measure.

5. Pour over enough oil to cover it. You just want to submerge it so no part of the fish is peeking above the surface, but you don’t need to cover it by too much (about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch should do). However, depending on the size of your pan and pieces of fish, this could take two or more cups total, which is why you probably don’t want to use a $40 bottle of olive oil here…

6. Place it in a 275 degree oven until it’s done. Depending on the thickness of your fish, this could take anywhere from 15 minutes to about an hour (or more); just check it now and again, and if any spots are no longer covered by oil when you do peek, baste them with a few spoonfuls from the surrounding pool (if you pour more oil in, it will lower the temperature and increase the cooking time). You’re looking for the flesh to be mostly opaque and fairly firm to know it’s done, but for fish like tuna and salmon in particular, if you prefer a rosier center, you can pull it out before it’s totally cooked through. However, if you do want it all the way done, it should still come out perfectly moist thanks to the oil bath.

Then what do you do with it?

Yummy.ph

Aside from serving the oil-poached fish right on a plate with some rice or grains, cooked vegetables, and perhaps a sauce (like chermoula, chimichurri, romesco, cilantro-lime sauce, or herbed yogurt sauce) or chunkier relish (like tomatillo salsa or tomato jam), you can use it to make the best tuna salad of your life; break it up and gently mix it into pasta; turn it into salmon or tuna rillettes for a fancy appetizer or snack; or serve it as part of a composed salad (like Tuna Niçoise).

Variations: You can adapt the method to the stovetop for smaller pieces of fish or shrimp and scallops. Many recipes will have you heat the oil to a specific temperature before adding the seafood, but it’ll work fine if you just combine everything in a deep pot or Dutch oven and place it over low heat until it warms up. Ideally, the oil will feel warm to the touch without being hot enough to burn you, but if you’d rather not stick your finger into cooking oil, just keep an eye on it and never let it get above a very gentle simmer, if even that. Depending on your fish (and your stove), it can take anywhere from 5 to 30 or more minutes; trust your eyes and sense of touch to know when it’s done. Whether you’re cooking in the oven or on the stove, instead of using oil, you can also poach fish in butter.

Notes: Don’t discard the oil! Or at least not all of it. You can drizzle a bit over the fish and any vegetables you’re serving with it as an ultra simple pan sauce, or use it for dipping crusty bread on the side; even incorporate it into a dressing if you’re serving the fish on or accompanied by a green salad.

If you’re still startled by the notion of cooking seafood submerged in fat, you can try this passive poaching method using water, wine, or broth instead. But for those times you’re after a truly luxurious bite, try the oil poaching method and say goodbye to all thoughts of dry, disappointing fish.

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