why is Catsup named catsup? Its a weird word and wondered where in the blazes it comes from?

Answer 1

catsup
n : thick spicy sauce made from tomatoes [syn: ketchup, cetchup,
tomato ketchup]


Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Catchup \Catch"up\, Catsup \Cat"sup\, n. [Probably of East
Indian origin, because it was originally a kind of East
Indian pickles.]
A table sauce made from mushrooms, tomatoes, walnuts, etc.
[Written also ketchup.]

Answer 2

THE HISTORY OF KETCHUP

Ketchup can be spelled two different ways: "Ketchup" and "Catsup." Neither one is more correct than the other, but most people nowadays prefer the spelling "Ketchup," however, "Catsup" came before the spelling "Ketchup." What most people don't know is that the word "Catsup" is actually Latin for "Cat Soup." This was a term back in Ye Olde Europe for "Those Who Eat Cats," referring to those who dwelt in southeast Asia. In the 19th Century, when the Trans-Continental Railroad was being built, many Chinese men came to work for the low wages paid by the Union. Building the railroad was dangerous work, and many Chinese men lost their lives in the process. When being prepared for burial, blood is drained from the body and replaced with enbalming fluid. At this time, a man had a genious idea: instead of simply throwing out all the blood (because there was so much of it), they would market it as a condiment. While not all the blood being used in this new concoction was Chinese blood, most of it was because of the railroad, hence the name "Catsup," because putting human blood on your hamburger just doesn't sound very appetizing. When the railroad was finished, the supply of mauled men began to diminish, and the human blood was replaced with actual Cat Soup. In the mid-1920's, animal rights groups began to harass the catsup industry. In response, the Catsup Corporation disguised the cats in tomato costumes. Two years later, the activists were at it again once they caught on to the Catsup Corporation's scheme. They were forced to cease the use of cats in tomato costumes and replace them with real tomatos. Four years later, the Catsup Corporation was sued for false advertising because they were marketing "Catsup," when in fact it was only tomato sauce, and the Catsup Corporation went bankrupt. One day, a drunken Nevada man decided to bring back the Catsup he loved right before the Catsup Corporation went bankrupt. Unlike the Corporation, he realized that he could no longer call it "Catsup," so he re-named it "Ketchup." Soon, other ketchup companies arose, and then eventually the generic "Fancy Ketchup." Later, people began to see the archaic "Catsup" spelling because "retro is trendy." Most people do not know the history behind that spelling, which is why there has not yet been a law suit towards all ketchup companies that spell it "Catsup."

Answer 3

There is a great show on Ketchup on right now on the History channel.

This is what wikipedia has to say:

Ketchup (or less commonly catsup) is a popular condiment, usually made with ripened tomatoes. The basic ingredients in modern ketchup are tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Onions, celery, and other vegetables are frequent additions. In the UK, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia, Iran and New Zealand, a vinegar-less variant of ketchup is commonly referred to as tomato sauce or red gravy.

Ketchup has not always been made out of tomatoes. It started out as a general term for sauce, typically made of mushrooms or fish brine with herbs and spices. Mushroom ketchup is still available in some countries, such as the UK. Some popular early main ingredients include blueberry, anchovy, oyster, lobster, walnut, kidney bean, cucumber, cranberry, lemon, and grape.

The largest major commercial distributors of ketchup in the United States are the H. J. Heinz Company, Hunt's, Del Monte Foods, and Brooks Ketchup.

Ketchup is often used for French fries ("chips" in Commonwealth Nations), sandwiches and grilled/fried meats. Ketchup with mayonaise forms the base of Thousand Island dressin

Answer 4

ketchup

[KEHCH-uhp; KACH-uhp] Ke-tsiap-a spicy pickled-fish condiment popular in 17th-century China-is said to be the origin of the name "ketchup." British seamen brought the ke-tsiap home and throughout the years the formula was changed to contain anything from nuts to mushrooms. It wasn't until the late 1700s that canny New Englanders added tomatoes to the blend and it became what we know today as ketchup. Also called catsup and catchup, this thick, spicy sauce is a traditional American accompaniment for French-fried potatoes, hamburgers and many other foods. Ketchup usually has a tomato foundation, though gourmet markets often carry condiments with similar appellations that might have a base of anything from walnuts to mangoes to mushrooms. Vinegar gives ketchup its tang, while sugar, salt and spices contribute to the blend. In addition to being used as a condiment, ketchup is used as an ingredient in many dishes.

ALSO:

WORD HISTORY The word ketchup exemplifies the types of modifications that can take place in borrowing—both of words and substances. The source of our word ketchup may be the Malay word kēchap, possibly taken into Malay from the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. Kēchap, like ketchup, was a sauce, but one without tomatoes; rather, it contained fish brine, herbs, and spices. Sailors seem to have brought the sauce to Europe, where it was made with locally available ingredients such as the juice of mushrooms or walnuts. At some unknown point, when the juice of tomatoes was first used, ketchup as we know it was born. But it is important to realize that in the 18th and 19th centuries ketchup was a generic term for sauces whose only common ingredient was vinegar. The word is first recorded in English in 1690 in the form catchup, in 1711 in the form ketchup, and in 1730 in the form catsup. All three spelling variants of this foreign borrowing remain current.

Answer 5

Originated in Eastern Asia; the word ketchup is used in Chinese, Malay and Indonesian (e.g., kecap manis). English and Dutch sailors brought the Asian ketchup to Europe, where many flavourings, such as mushrooms, anchovies and nuts, were added to the basic fish sauce. Whether the tomato was also added to ketchup in England is not certain, and it's likely that this important event first happened in the USA.

Answer 6

In the middle ages they used to smash cats, cut a hole in the tail, and let the innerds out int a bowl and they called it cats soup. over time the name became catsup or even ketchup

Answer 7

ketchup
1711, from Malay kichap, from Chinese (Amoy dial.) koechiap "brine of fish." Catsup (earlier catchup) is a failed attempt at Anglicization, still in use in U.S. Originally a fish sauce, early English recipes included among their ingredients mushrooms, walnuts, cucumbers, and oysters. Modern form of the sauce began to emerge when U.S. seamen added tomatoes.

Answer 8

Ketchup. in no way said it before besides the undeniable fact that the bottle says that's a celeb version. William Shatner is on the cover and needs you to maintain in mind that Heinz" fixes burgers at warp %"...

Answer 9

Catsup is spelled two different ways. Kechup and Catsup.

Answer 10

who knows, Its Ketchup and always will be.. I dont understand where catsup came from either..