The Wirecutter Show Summer Taste Test Extravaganza!
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Jul 9, 2025 Antara Sinha, a ketchup aficionado and writer on Wirecutter's kitchen team, joins Rachel Wharton, a food studies expert and an appliance team senior staff writer, for a flavorful journey. They experiment with 13 supermarket ketchups, revealing unexpected preferences and exploring ketchup's cultural history. The pair also taste-test various potato chips, highlighting surprising winners, and savor ice cream sandwiches, including delightful non-dairy options. Get ready for a fun and delicious summer taste test!
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Kids' Honest Ketchup Feedback
- Antara Sinha shared how kids' ketchup tasting brought surprising feedback revealing their elevated palates.
- Kids described some ketchups as "most normal," highlighting how Heinz ketchup shapes American ketchup expectations.
Ketchup Quality Criteria
- A great ketchup balances acidity, sweetness, and tomato flavor without stewy or tinny notes.
- Texture should be smooth and glossy with good cling to fries, avoiding pulpy or watery separation.
Ketchup's Unexpected Origins
- Ketchup as consumed in the U.S. is distinctly American, rooted in a history involving politics and culture.
- It originated as a preserved fish product from China before evolving into tomato ketchup in England.