5 ms·

I still can't unserstand why would anyone prefer Heinz to anything else. It has almost no flavor except vinegar... Don't tell me you have nothing to chose from

by konart 4y ago

I still can't unserstand why would anyone prefer Heinz to anything else. It has almost no flavor except vinegar... Don't tell me you have nothing to chose from in the US?

prmoustache 4y ago
Funnily I would have said the same thing, replacing vinegar by sugar.
- jakogut 4y ago
  Both vinegar and sugar are in the top three ingredients. > Simply Heinz™ is made from the basics: red ripe tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a special blend of spices and flavorings. Sauce: https://www.heinz.com/product/00013000004640/heinz-simply-tomato-ketchup-no-artificial-sweeteners-31-oz-bottle https://www.heinz.com/product/00013000004640/heinz-simply-to...
dotancohen 4y ago
In my country Heinz is sold as "tomato sauce", not ketchup, because it does not have enough tomato to meet the definition of ketchup.
- thaumasiotes 4y ago
  What is the definition of ketchup? If you asked me, I'd define it as a mixture of tomato product, sugar, and vinegar.
  - dotancohen 4y ago
    That's a good question, and I don't know the answer. Presumably it's defined in some law somewhere. Why there exists such a law is a good question in itself.
    - messe 4y ago
      > Why there exists such a law is a good question in itself. They generally exist to avoid companies misrepresenting their products and misleading consumers.
  - ElevenLathe 4y ago
    This is the US regulation that defines "Catsup, ketchup, or catchup": https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=155.194 https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfr... The USDA also has a grading system: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/tomato-catsup-grades-and-standards https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/tomato-catsup-grad... This is why the bottle always says "fancy ketchup." This is the ketchup equivalent of USDA Prime beef.
- konart 4y ago
  TIL. In Russia "tomato sauce" is basically anything that has tomatos. But at the same time we have mostly sauses from Georgian, Turkish, Armenian etc causine. They have all kinds of spices (and often vegetables). Ketchup is usually something far poorer in ingredients.
- pleb_nz 4y ago
  Where I'm from it's the opposite. Althought ketchup is a type of tomato sauce, tomato sauce usually refers to something with higher tomato content and more tomato taste where as ketchup is more vinegery and sweet.
thematrixturtle 4y ago
Heinz is ambrosia compared to the sweet and runny house brand ketchups at your average supermarket.
paulfurtado 4y ago
Are you from the US or another country? Heinz uses different ketchup recipes in different countries and I personally think there is a huge difference. In the US, it is by far the best ketchup, but I hate the heinz in Canada. https://www.livingabroadincanada.com/2009/05/13/why-does-ketchup-taste-different-in-canada/ https://www.livingabroadincanada.com/2009/05/13/why-does-ket...
- konart 4y ago
  I'm from Russia but I tried it in both countries. Maybe there is a difference but I can't really tell.
herbst 4y ago
Vinegar? I avoid Heinz because all I can taste is sugar
- dagw 4y ago
  I prefer Heinz because it is the least sweet tasing of the large ketchup brands. Taste is weird.
  - colordrops 4y ago
    You should try Primal Kitchen ketchup. No added sugar but somehow still a bit sweet, probably from the tomatoes. If it's all I eat then I don't notice a difference, but if tried side by side with Heinz, Heinz tastes like sugar paste. https://www.primalkitchen.com/products/organic-unsweetened-ketchup https://www.primalkitchen.com/products/organic-unsweetened-k...
    - herbst 4y ago
      Onion powder can be incredible sweet. I would assume that's the trick there.
sammalloy 4y ago
> I still can't unserstand why would anyone prefer Heinz to anything else. It has almost no flavor except vinegar... Came here to say just this. I have a pretty undiscriminating and liberal palate and don’t really have that many dislikes when it comes to food. But Heinz ketchup is just bad. No flavor and just boring.
- c0nsumer 4y ago
  I used to think I didn't like ketchup... Then I had some "tomato jam" in a higher end restaurant and it was amazing and I realized it was just a nice house made ketchup. Since then I've also tried Red Gold ketchup and that's pretty darn good as well.
zach_garwood 4y ago
I would love vinegar-heavy ketchup! I love mustards for just that reason. But to me, ketchups just taste like sugar paste.

by konart 4y ago

I still can't unserstand why would anyone prefer Heinz to anything else. It has almost no flavor except vinegar... Don't tell me you have nothing to chose from in the US?

prmoustache 4y ago

Funnily I would have said the same thing, replacing vinegar by sugar.

jakogut 4y ago
Both vinegar and sugar are in the top three ingredients. > Simply Heinz™ is made from the basics: red ripe tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a special blend of spices and flavorings. Sauce: https://www.heinz.com/product/00013000004640/heinz-simply-tomato-ketchup-no-artificial-sweeteners-31-oz-bottle https://www.heinz.com/product/00013000004640/heinz-simply-to...

dotancohen 4y ago

In my country Heinz is sold as "tomato sauce", not ketchup, because it does not have enough tomato to meet the definition of ketchup.

thaumasiotes 4y ago
What is the definition of ketchup? If you asked me, I'd define it as a mixture of tomato product, sugar, and vinegar.
- dotancohen 4y ago
  That's a good question, and I don't know the answer. Presumably it's defined in some law somewhere. Why there exists such a law is a good question in itself.
  - messe 4y ago
    > Why there exists such a law is a good question in itself. They generally exist to avoid companies misrepresenting their products and misleading consumers.
- ElevenLathe 4y ago
  This is the US regulation that defines "Catsup, ketchup, or catchup": https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=155.194 https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfr... The USDA also has a grading system: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/tomato-catsup-grades-and-standards https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/tomato-catsup-grad... This is why the bottle always says "fancy ketchup." This is the ketchup equivalent of USDA Prime beef.
konart 4y ago
TIL. In Russia "tomato sauce" is basically anything that has tomatos. But at the same time we have mostly sauses from Georgian, Turkish, Armenian etc causine. They have all kinds of spices (and often vegetables). Ketchup is usually something far poorer in ingredients.
pleb_nz 4y ago
Where I'm from it's the opposite. Althought ketchup is a type of tomato sauce, tomato sauce usually refers to something with higher tomato content and more tomato taste where as ketchup is more vinegery and sweet.

thematrixturtle 4y ago

Heinz is ambrosia compared to the sweet and runny house brand ketchups at your average supermarket.

paulfurtado 4y ago

Are you from the US or another country? Heinz uses different ketchup recipes in different countries and I personally think there is a huge difference. In the US, it is by far the best ketchup, but I hate the heinz in Canada. https://www.livingabroadincanada.com/2009/05/13/why-does-ketchup-taste-different-in-canada/ https://www.livingabroadincanada.com/2009/05/13/why-does-ket...

konart 4y ago
I'm from Russia but I tried it in both countries. Maybe there is a difference but I can't really tell.

herbst 4y ago

Vinegar? I avoid Heinz because all I can taste is sugar

dagw 4y ago
I prefer Heinz because it is the least sweet tasing of the large ketchup brands. Taste is weird.
- colordrops 4y ago
  You should try Primal Kitchen ketchup. No added sugar but somehow still a bit sweet, probably from the tomatoes. If it's all I eat then I don't notice a difference, but if tried side by side with Heinz, Heinz tastes like sugar paste. https://www.primalkitchen.com/products/organic-unsweetened-ketchup https://www.primalkitchen.com/products/organic-unsweetened-k...
  - herbst 4y ago
    Onion powder can be incredible sweet. I would assume that's the trick there.

sammalloy 4y ago

> I still can't unserstand why would anyone prefer Heinz to anything else. It has almost no flavor except vinegar... Came here to say just this. I have a pretty undiscriminating and liberal palate and don’t really have that many dislikes when it comes to food. But Heinz ketchup is just bad. No flavor and just boring.

c0nsumer 4y ago
I used to think I didn't like ketchup... Then I had some "tomato jam" in a higher end restaurant and it was amazing and I realized it was just a nice house made ketchup. Since then I've also tried Red Gold ketchup and that's pretty darn good as well.

zach_garwood 4y ago

I would love vinegar-heavy ketchup! I love mustards for just that reason. But to me, ketchups just taste like sugar paste.