Friday, May 16, 2008

Ketchup quote

Another food quote, which I am sure some in this world will not like:

Americans will eat garbage provided you sprinkle it liberally with ketchup. - Henry Miller

There is a lot to be said about ketchup. That Reagan himself tried to classify it as a vegetable in the school lunches is not true, it was someone down in the administration that came up with that idea which never passed as a rule. But the rumor exist, and I bet there are people that think ketchup is really nutritious (but check the sugar and sodium in this table). After all, it is a mellowing agent (listen to Prairie Home Companion and you will find out more). In the stores right now they sell purple and green ketchup to the kid crowd and stressed out parents that give in to wishes from kids that have seen too many ketchup TV ads... "Heinz Ez Squirt Funky Purple Makes Kids want to eat their dinner!"

I used to eat a lot more ketchup than now. As a poor college student I often had cooked spaghetti with ketchup and grated cheese for dinner, that is all I could afford. Ketchup is a must on fried egg sandwiches and hot dogs, but on burgers I like BBQ sauce better. Not that BBQ sauce has better nutrients, it is just more tasty and not so sweet. Ketchup is among the most American and widespread food I can think of. Hot dogs and French fries were imported here, but ketchup was innovated in the USA.

7 comments:

LS said...

Correction: Ketchup didn't really come from America, it came from South East Asia. At least according to Wikipedia.

O.K. said...

_Cooked_ spaghetti? Luxury! ;)

O.K. said...

Funky purple, that's some color. But it doesn't top "neon beige" that someone "invented" in a radioshow today.

O.K. said...

I believe that the inventor was Anders Ödeen and the subject was related to this.

LS said...

Ha, first I thought you said Anders Ödeen was the inventor of ketchup! I was ready to disagree until I clicked on the link. "neon beige" that is something! Makes me think of polyester and 1960s dance band album covers...

LS said...

Since O.K. said Luxury, can I add the label "cardboard box" now? Please?

LS said...

Are American's obsessed with color? I guess in ketchup! Mexicans have more colorful lives I think, just look at their art!, but I can't imagine purple or neongreen salsa. Salsa verde is good, though!