Explore the Evolution of Ketchup with a New Illustrated Story from Silly Butts Food Fan Facts.

Did you know that ketchup wasn't always made from tomatoes? It may be hard to believe, but it's true.

Ketchup was a sauce made from anchovies and beer before Dr. John Cooke Bennett decided to add tomatoes in 1834.

While studying the chemical makeup of tomatoes, an idea struck him.

"Considering the abundance of nutrients in tomatoes, such as pectin and lycopene, they can be utilized as a form of medication," he exclaimed excitedly.

The idea took little time to materialize.

Dr. Bennett promptly connected with a pharmacist he was acquainted with, and they commenced marketing a fresh tomato ketchup that claimed to help alleviate diarrhea, indigestion, and even rheumatism.

And it was a boom! People liked Dr. John's tomato remedy sauce so much that he soon created pills with tomato extract and was ready for more. Unfortunately, the empire of tomato medicine didn't last long and fell apart due to many imitators and fakes.

But as a keepsake of this story, we now have our tomato ketchup without beer and anchovies. Can you imagine sauce from anchovies and beer?

And also, we can rest easy knowing that diarrhea will not afflict us as long as we have tomato ketchup.

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If you missed the last episode of the Silly Butts Food Fun Facts series, don't worry, I won't spoil it for you.

But, between us, you should read them all!