The first time you see the phrase “banana ketchup,” you’ll probably do a double-take.
The first time you see the phrase “banana ketchup,” you’ll probably do a double-take. Banana what? What in the world is that supposed to be? Or you’ll think, “how does that work??” as it turns out, this is a yummy delicacy that is wildly popular throughout the Philippines. Despite its name, there’s no actual tomato content. Instead, the sauce is a medium for bananas, sugar, spices, and vinegar to blend and create an unorthodox condiment that will astound your palate and excite your taste buds!
So What Is It?
Swapping out the tomatoes in conventional ketchup formulas and replacing them with bananas will yield a product that is almost identical to this innovative concoction. It is the brainchild of Maria Orosa, a forward-thinking food scientist. Orosa studied food chemistry in the States before heading back home. She wanted to focus on making more sustainable foods using native ingredients.
Tomatoes were an expensive import, so they wouldn’t fall in line with her goals. But BK was such a smashing success that it is still used in various examples of Filipino home cooking: tortang talong (eggplant omelet), hamburgers, fried chicken, and Filipino spaghetti. That last item incorporates banana ketchup and hot dogs instead of tomato sauce and ground beef. The Mafran brand spearheaded mass-production in 1942. Today, it is still easy to find on grocery store shelves.
What Can You Do with It?
Unlike tomato-based ketchup, which can border on being tart, its banana-derived counterpart is somewhat sweeter. You can use it for hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, and meatloaf. In short, all of the same things you could use regular ketchup for are fair game here. If you want to get more creative (and adventurous), you can experiment with adding it to eggs, rice, meats, and veggies.
What’s The Flavor Profile?
As we just said, banana ketchup tastes like a sweeter variant of its more well-known cousin. There’s also an unexpected layer of juiciness. Although you’ll find this ketchup in red and brown offerings, the only difference is the presence of food coloring in the red variation.
Some Tasty Meal Ideas to Try
By now, you’re probably getting hungrier by the minute. You can try your hand at making banana ketchup in your kitchen. Alternatively, you could also grab it from your friendly local Asian supermarket instead. Those of you who are refining their Asian-style cooking skills, then embutido (Filipino meatloaf) could intrigue you. Likewise, Filipino garlic fried rice drizzled with banana ketchup and crab paste will delight you as well!
Get All Your Asian Groceries at Lotte Plaza Market
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