Food & drinkTrade, money & letters

ketchup

Ketchup began as a fermented fish sauce: British sailors met Malay kecap, probably from Hokkien kê-chiap, and only in the 19th century did tomato win out over anchovies, mushrooms and walnuts. American tomato ketchup then went round the world, from Mexico's cátsup to Soviet canneries and Japanese omurice, while Malay and Indonesian kecap still means soy sauce.

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1600Hokkien (Min Nan)

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ketchup

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