Comments on: "______ is the new ketchup"

Question: "______ is the new ketchup"

hermitosis — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 14:56:00 -0800

Ketchup Alternatives?

I love cooking French fries, and still love them with ketchup even though it pretty much contradicts my current food philosophy-- I try to eat as few heavily-processed foods as possible.

I'd love to buy (or make) an alternative condiment to eat with fries. Mustard is great, but I'd like to find a sweeter taste to compliment the saltiness of the fries. Spicy is okay. Preferably a substance of comparable consistency that is easy to dip into. I like foods and flavors from all cultures, and will try almost anything.

However, anything mayonnaise-based is out.

Anyone have any fun ideas or favorite recipes?

By: nitsuj

nitsuj — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 14:57:24 -0800

Whenever I have fries, I make a mix of ketchup and Cholula. It's quite awesome.

By: sperare

sperare — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 14:58:54 -0800

I am pretty sure that nearly all American condiments are either ketchup or mayonnaise based! But, have you tried tzatziki? I love dipping fries in this stuff!

By: galimatias

galimatias — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:00:06 -0800

I'm a fan of fries and BBQ sauce. Sweet Baby Ray's makes a pretty good BBQ sauce with honey.

By: dorian

dorian — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:04:52 -0800

wasabi
malt vinegar
cream cheese
homemade ketchup
sambar
masoor dal
pau bhaji
borscht
apfelsenf

By: dorian

dorian — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:10:45 -0800

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:14:37 -0800

That sounds good, dorian, but how much of each are we supposed to blend together?

By: bookish

bookish — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:16:32 -0800

Sriracha is like the spicy, Thai version of ketchup, made with ground red chilis, and I put it on everything. Can be found in Asian sections of most supermarkets. I've never made my own, but here is a recipe for it if you're game.

By: evil holiday magic

evil holiday magic — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:17:23 -0800

Ketchup + Filipino Spiced Vinegar (or any vinegar with chilis)

By: dorian

dorian — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:21:40 -0800

lol ^_^

ooh hells yeah sriracha. mix that stuff with some sugar and fish sauce (nuoc nam) and maybe some rice vinegar, and there is a tasty sauce. on preview: sorta what evil holiday magic said.

By: Robot Johnny

Robot Johnny — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:22:59 -0800

Gravy and cheese curds, baby!

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:23:09 -0800

I use honey mustard, ranch dressing, Heinz 57, blue cheese dressing, ..just about everything but ketchup.

By: mcwetboy

mcwetboy — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:26:51 -0800

Homemade ketchup would satisfy your requirement that it not be too processed, wouldn't it? I don't have a recipe handy, but recall that it isn't too difficult to make . . .

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:28:02 -0800

Ranch dressing is more versatile than you might think. It's the albino ketchup!

By: dorian

dorian — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:28:04 -0800

oh, and apfelsenf is dead easy to make.
equal parts:
- your favorite applesauce (preferably homemade and chunky, but eh)
- your favorite mustard (preferably brown or otherwise spicy)

adjust ratio to taste. adding some ground horseradish or spices (or sriracha, that's how we roll around here) just makes it better.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:43:17 -0800

Ummm, Fry Sauce?

By: Zosia Blue

Zosia Blue — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:43:38 -0800

I dip nearly everything dippable in sour cream.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:46:10 -0800

You can buy ketchups in natural food stores that don't have a lot of additives, or hell, make your own with tomato and spices and vinegar.

By: adamrice

adamrice — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:49:45 -0800

Sambal Bajak. A spicy paste from Indonesia (?). Good flavoring for soups, too.

By: evil holiday magic

evil holiday magic — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:58:22 -0800

Nacho Cheese + Chinese Mustard Powder

By: sciatica

sciatica — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:59:49 -0800

Nomato is made from vegetables and seasonings. It contains no soy, no dairy, no wheat, no nuts, and of course no tomatoes!

Appears to be all natural and homemade. I haven't tried it, but was thinking about ordering some when it looked like I might be allergic to tomatoes.

By: jason's_planet

jason's_planet — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:02:48 -0800

House of Tsang Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce.

It's a little pricey but it's sooooofuckinggood.

By: paulsc

paulsc — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:29:45 -0800

An old girl friend of mine was nuts about hot french fries & Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. Not my thing, mind you, but not ketchup, either.

By: web-goddess

web-goddess — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:30:18 -0800

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. On my first visit to Australia, my husband served me potato wedges with sour cream and sweet chili. IT WAS A REVELATION. It's a vaguely see-through pinky/red sauce with bits of chili floating in it. It's like the salsa of Australia right now; you can get it everywhere. I highly recommend it.

When I lived in Europe, I also got into English style chips (malt vinegar and plenty of salt) and French style pommes (dipped in mayonnaise). Definitely give those a try.

By: JohnnyGunn

JohnnyGunn — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:31:18 -0800

Similar to Jason's_Planet, I dip them in Soy Vay Sesame Terryaki sauce. Can't beat it with a stick. Add a little hot sauce and you are set right.

By: dw

dw — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:35:39 -0800

Chili sauce and making your own ketchup has already been mentioned. I can second making your own -- it's better than the bottled stuff, and it's pretty easy to make.

The Oklahoma condiment of choice is cream gravy.

By: staggernation

staggernation — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:45:13 -0800

Mixing sour cream with cocktail sauce, specifically the Gold's cocktail sauce (with lots of horseradish) you can often get at Costco, yields awesomeness.

By: jtron

jtron — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:51:29 -0800

Hoisin sauce, maybe? Malt Vinegar is very good. And as a fellow mayonnaise-avoider, I have to say that you're cheating yourself if you never try Belgian-style "Samurai" sauce, a delicious and spicy mayo.

Gonna go make some fries, I'm drooling on the keyboard...

By: frogan

frogan — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 17:10:58 -0800

Ketchup World

River Run Ketchup

Mrs. Tomato Head Roasted Garlic Peppercorn Catsup

By: itsjustanalias

itsjustanalias — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 17:13:57 -0800

Is it only industrial mayonnaise that's out? Because freshly made aoli (garlic mayonnaise) is a perfect accompaniment to chips (UK) fries (US).

Otherwise, try brown sauce, HP sauce or worcester sauce based table sauces.

Oh and malt vinegar still beats everything else in my humble...

By: gimonca

gimonca — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 17:24:42 -0800

Try ajvar, a red pepper and garlic condiment from the Balkans. Think sweet peppers and eggplant with optional spicy heat. Also available in many ethnic (or even regular) grocery stores by the jar.

(Note: if you buy a jar of this stuff from Croatia or Bulgaria with a big "No Preservatives" on the label, they mean it. Not recommended to buy more than you intend to eat in, say, a week or so.)

By: evariste

evariste — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 17:25:20 -0800

Heinz Ketchup is the best thing ever.

By: dorian

dorian — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 17:42:41 -0800

ooh! ooh! ooh! how could I forget?!?
branston pickle.
it goes on everything.
yum.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 17:56:41 -0800

Thank you all! I have been marking "best" all the suggestions that I am most likely to try, as a visual cue for myself-- however there are some other suggestions here that I may well discover I like even more.

It's not just industrial mayonnaise that's out. I like mayo in other contexts, but fry-wise I am not having it.

As for Ranch and other dressings, no thanks. Not to be a snob-- I worked at Denny's in college and came home every night at 4 AM reeking of all the dressings I had been serving/cleaning up all night. Once you have cleaned up a 3-foot pool of ranch dressing up off of a walk-in refrigerator floor, it's not hard to abstain from the stuff forever. Or when you walk into the kitchen and see the cook with his shirt-sleeve rolled up and his arm plunged into a 10-gallon vat of the stuff, stirring it with his arm. (!!!)

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 18:00:09 -0800

PS: I think I will try making my own ketchup, keeping in mind that if my boyfriend catches me doing this in our tiny NYC kitchen, he will think I have totally lost my mind. We're still on thin ice from the pokeberry ink incident.

By: evil holiday magic

evil holiday magic — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 18:11:59 -0800

the cook with his shirt-sleeve rolled up and his arm plunged into a 10-gallon vat of the stuff, stirring it with his arm.

The bastard!! Remind me never to eat anything.

Before this thread disappears, I'd like to recommend hot sauces made under the Melinda's brand (subdued vinegar flavor, good heat), including the mango variety, and Ass Kickin' brand Thai Peanut Sauce.

Maybe it's been mentioned under another name, but I'd also recommend mango chutney.

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 18:41:02 -0800

Pico de gallo

By: rmm

rmm — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 18:42:36 -0800

A1 sauce (don't think anyone's mentioned it). Don't know if it's available everywhere, but HP sauce (a British tasting equivalent) is tasty stuff indeed as well...a tiny kick to it but nice and reminds me of home.

By: dorian

dorian — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 18:58:41 -0800

still waiting to see some of people's own tried recipes...

also, a1 sauce a+++ would eat on steak fries again. and again. and again.

By: plinth

plinth — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 19:46:57 -0800

If you make ketchup, and I have several times, consider finding a way to make it outside. It tends to make your home smell like ketchup for quite some time after.

By: Good Brain

Good Brain — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 19:57:16 -0800

Chocolate shake.

By: brujita

brujita — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 20:43:22 -0800

Curry sauce.

By: Joseph Gurl

Joseph Gurl — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 21:33:52 -0800

Chutneys are poised to make a comeback.

Pineapple & macadamia nut chutney = the new pico de gallo

By: wackybrit

wackybrit — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 21:51:29 -0800

Seasoning salt.

I have no idea what's in it, probably paprika, some chili powder, onion powder, etc, but it's very common at all the Turkish / Greek takeouts around here on the fries, and I love it.

By: sad_otter

sad_otter — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 22:54:25 -0800

Sambal Manis Pedas is a mild Indonesian hot sauce that substitutes well for ketchup (and is delicious).

By: sad_otter

sad_otter — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 22:58:48 -0800

Oh, yeah, and a 50/50 mix of ketchup and HP Fruity sauce is pretty awesome, as well.

By: Iamtherealme

Iamtherealme — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 23:31:47 -0800

I'll third the suggestion of chocolate......I love dipping my fries into the Frosty's from Wendy's. I'm not sure if you want the condiment to be less heavily processed or if you're just looking for a change, but definately investigate the chocolate avenues. Honey is also wonderful - just straight, pure honey. I'd say ketchup would be my third choice behind those two.

By: chrisroberts

chrisroberts — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 07:54:10 -0800

ketchup is the new ketchup

By: mikeh

mikeh — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 08:35:41 -0800

Soak the fries in Tabasco before dipping in another sauce. Unlike sauces like Sriracha, Tabasco (or Louisiana Hot Pepper Sauce, etc) will soak into the fries.

By: murphy slaw

murphy slaw — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 10:08:24 -0800

Filipino banana catsup. The commercial kind isn't exactly a "natural food" (it's dyed a shocking red), but you could try your hand at making your own.

By: kindall

kindall — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 10:39:39 -0800

If you want something tomatoey but not ketchup, try pizza sauce. When I was on a low-carb kick I subbed it for ketchup on basically everything and it was good on all those things.

By: battlecj

battlecj — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 13:04:38 -0800

How about some Old Bay?

By: Sharcho

Sharcho — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 13:23:29 -0800

Salsa brava

By: Danelope

Danelope — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 16:30:36 -0800

The Tabasco company puts out a chipotle version of their sauce, which I find to be goddamn awesome on french fries (or plain popcorn, or really anything...)

By: jxpx777

jxpx777 — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 17:12:43 -0800

You should also check out Tiger Sauce by Try Me. (Clever name, no?) Beware, it's rather spicy, but sweet at the same time. My favorite.

By: crunchyk9

crunchyk9 — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:18:08 -0800

First time I've ever heard of "Sriracha" ... Me and my buddies have always called it "Cock sauce" on account of the giant cock on the bottle.

By: metacort

metacort — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:51:35 -0800

As a Utah native I have to recommend fry sauce. Some Dude's Fry Sauce Is a good brand. I love it on just about anything I'd normally eat with ketchup.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 13:21:46 -0800

UPDATE:

Sriracha was a great call-- too spicy for me by itself, but excellent mixed with ketchup.

I bought a bottle of Annie's Organic Ketchup.

I just made my first batch of apfelsenf as well, and so far so good!

I bought a thai peanut ginger sauce that I have yet to taste.

In other words, it's an exciting week around these parts :)

By: lester the unlikely

lester the unlikely — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 15:50:35 -0800

my fave = siracha + mayo = less spicy, sort of creamy