The word ketchup is often associated with Western fast food and cuisine such burgers, French fries, and hot dogs. However, it is interesting to note that ketchup has Asian origins with the word ketchup derived from Malaysian word kecap, a type of fermented salty fish sauce. In India too, ketchup has become highly popular as it is invariably consumed with local savory items such as tikki, samosa and chaat. Ketchup made from a quality manufacturer has within itself a whole array of taste that makes any food item extra delicious. Ketchups are available in sweet, hot, tangy and spicy flavors to name a few.

Also, it is very important to understand the difference between ketchup and sauce so that next time you go to your local grocery store or order one online, you are sure about what you are buying.

Tomato ketchup and tomato sauce are two terms that are often used interchangeably though there is a lot of difference between them. Tomato ketchup is a tomato-based sauce that contains higher amount of tomato paste and premium spices. Tomato sauce on the other hand contains less amount of tomato paste. Other ingredients that are generally included in tomato sauce are vinegar, sugar, salt and a few spices.

Few important things you need to keep in mind to ensure that you choose the best tomato ketchup in India are as following:

Ingredients

First and foremost, you need to have a closer look at the ingredients. Ensure that the ingredients are natural. Go for a ketchup that contains apple cider vinegar instead of artificial alcohol-based vinegars. Also, it is advisable to buy a ketchup that has added sugar instead of glucose or fructose. Sometimes, you will find that the ketchup contains saccharine instead of sugar. This is not going to have much effect in your diet. Also, it is better to buy a bottle of ketchup mentions the source from where the tomatoes have been sourced. This is a good practice as it assures you about the quality of the tomatoes and your ketchup.

Nutritional quantities

Ketchups are usually high in sodium content. Sodium is known to increase thirst which in turn stimulates craving for sweet beverages. And we all know that consuming too much sweet beverages is unhealthy. On the positive side, ketchup contains Lycopene in abundance, a very important antioxidant.