Ketchup didn't always involve tomatoes. The word comes from the Hokkien Chinese word 'ke-tsiap,' which was a fermented fish sauce. British sailors encountered this sauce in Southeast Asia in the late 17th century and brought it home. For over 100 years, everyday 'ketchup' in the West was made from mushrooms, walnuts, or oysters. The first tomato-based recipe didn't appear until 1812. It was Henry J. Heinz who revolutionized the product in 1876 by using ripe tomatoes and a high amount of vinegar and sugar, which acted as natural preservatives and gave the sauce its thick, iconic consistency.