The Ketchup Manifesto

Certain foods can cause a lot of passion among people. There are Web sites dedicated to those against mayonnaise, for example. And some people I know can’t even be in the same room as cilantro.

I didn’t realize ketchup could be placed in that same category. I mean, we’re talking about an all-American condiment. Something found on almost every table at any restaurant across the nation. Well, almost any restaurant.

I recently went to a couple of restaurants where I ordered a dish with a side of roasted potatoes. What better combination than perfectly golden brown roasted potatoes and the sweet tartness of juicy, red ketchup. And this was at brunch where it’s almost required that you have ketchup with your potatoes.

But it seems that in the current sustainable, organic, natural eat-only-what-you-make movement, ketchup is not something a chef believes in providing. It’s almost like they think adding ketchup to their dish is like adding salt when the dish is perfectly seasoned.

Just look at these potatoes that I ordered one day at one of those natural California restaurants. They were perfectly cooked with crispy, golden edges and tender body. They were perfection — except for the fact that they were naked. It needed that glistening, ruby color of ketchup.

I have to admit that I am a ketchup fanatic. When my nephew and niece were young, I purposely freaked them out by pouring ketchup on almost anything. Some of them made sense like roasted potatoes or French fries. And some things were just very Hawaiian, some thing pretty common growing up in Honolulu. Ketchup on scrambled eggs, for example, or even on rice. (Am I grossing you out yet?)

But I took it a step further. I started (just for fun) to put ketchup on a muffin and even once I put it on broccoli. I was making a point, but inside I was really excited about what I was about to eat.

So yeah, I love ketchup. And I would put it on anything if I could. But at the very least it should be roasted potatoes during brunch. So I don't get why some restaurants refuse to stock a bottle of ketchup. It’s a condiment, which means it’s something to add to enhance the food. And if the restaurant feels that they don’t want to serve something processed or pre-made, then maybe they should make a tomato aïoli or homemade version of ketchup. I just wanted that tangy sweetness to offset the savory crunch of roasted potatoes.

What do you think? Should ketchup be required at every restaurant that serves potatoes? I’m standing up today to say, wholeheartedly, with no anticipation or hesitation, YES!