Early versions of ketchup were nothing like the stuff we eat today: British explorers came across ke-tsiap, an Asian fish sauce, at the turn of the 18th century and attempted to re-create it with ingredients like anchovies, mushrooms, walnuts and oysters. Tomatoes didn’t become part of the recipe until about 100 years later, in America, but they were a problematic addition: Tomato season was short, so manufacturers used dangerous additives like coal tar and boric acid to keep ketchup on shelves year-round. Enter Henry John Heinz, a Pittsburgh-area businessman who got his start selling horseradish, sauerkraut and pickles in 1869. His ketchup, made with tomatoes, vinegar, salt and sugar, was preservative-free—and it tasted good, too. By 1908 the company had become the world’s largest manufacturer of tomato products. And Heinz…
