Words at Play : Favorite Words From Foreign Languages
#8: Ketchup
Language of Origin:
Malay
About the Word:
This all-American condiment started out as a spicy, fermented fish sauce in Malaysia.
That version, known as kěchap, made its way first to Europe and then to the New World, where tomatoes eventually became the defining ingredient.
Elsewhere, ketchup retains an earlier identity. Traditional English ketchup, for example, is a pureed seasoning based on mushrooms, unripe walnuts, or oysters.
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