The Ketchup Conundrum by Malcolm Gladwell

Last week while meandering through Target I was seduced by Malcolm Gladwell's book "What the Dog Saw" - a collection of his articles written for the New Yorker. So far its an absorbing read. One of the articles included in the book is "The Ketchup Conundrum" and its a marvelous examination on marketing, food science, and how food tastes. It tackles the very interesting question of why there exists dozens of varieties of mustard, but when it comes to ketchup - only one "flavor" is king.

Underdogs such as Jim Wigon have attempted to rival the likes of Heinz ketchup by developing fascinating hand crafted varieties - with maple syrup substituted for corn syrup, and hand chopped basil, red peppers, Spanish onions, garlic and a high-quality tomato paste - but to no avail.

The article gives a little dose of ketchup history too, as well as bringing to life some fascinating and quirky characters.

Published in Sept. 2004, I'm a little late in the game. But if you have not read it - read it now!