The Origin and History of Banana Ketchup

Have you ever thought about how and why banana ketchup was invented while dipping your lumpia in said dip? When you think of a substitute to replace tomatoes a banana is not the first thing that comes in mind. Technically speaking both Bananas and Tomatoes are not even a fruit but a berry but let’s leave that discussion for another time.

Banana ketchup is a popular condiment for fried foods that has a sweet and tangy taste. It is made with mashed bananas, vinegar, sugar, and spices. It's a bright crimson liquid with a taste comparable to tomato ketchup and is often used as a substitute.

Now, on to the history. Like the invention of cup noodles, banana ketchup was an invention to solve food supply problems after World War 2. After the Philippines was occupied by the Japanese, and many foreign products, including tomato ketchup were scarce, a Filipino food technologist named Maria Orosa had the notion of creating ketchup out of bananas instead. You can read about her and other Filipino scientist whose inventions have had groundbreaking contributions here.

Maria Orosa was a food scientist innovator. She was born in Taal, Batangas, in 1892. Despite the restrictions placed on women at the time, Orosa was able to obtain an education and pursue her interest in science. In 1921, she received a degree in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle and returned to the Philippines to put her expertise to use.

She invented numerous Filipino cuisine staples, such as calamansi juice powder and coconut soy sauce. Her objective was to develop a banana-based ketchup that could be created locally and using materials that were easily available in the Philippines.

After months of experimentation she finished her recipe and it was an instant success. People liked the new ketchup because it was less expensive and easier to make than tomato ketchup not to mention had a sweet taste that Filipinos had a bias for. It immediately became a household staple in the Philippines, and it was soon exported to other nations as well.

And that is it, the short but sweet history of banana ketchup. It just goes to show that the best innovations are sometimes born out of necessity. Who knows, maybe one day banana ketchup will be as common as tomato ketchup and on the forefront of uniquely flavored chips and snacks. After all, it's a condiment that's not only tasty but also distinctively Filipino.

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Written by Julian Russel Yu Noche

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