Tomato is one of the most popular vegetables. It not only plays an important role in various dishes, but also derives many forms of condiments, such as Ketchup, Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste. But what is the difference between tomato ketchup and tomato sauce?
1. Ketchup
- Ketchup is one of the most common tomato products and is widely used in fast food, especially in foods such as french fries, hamburgers, and hot dogs.
- Ingredients: The main ingredients of Ketchup are tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, salt, and various spices and seasonings (such as onion powder, garlic powder, spices, etc.).
- Taste and texture: Ketchup has a strong sweet and sour taste, a smooth texture, and is red or orange-red. Its sweetness comes from added sugar or high fructose corn syrup, while its sourness mainly comes from vinegar.
- Uses: Ketchup is most commonly used as a seasoning and can be used in various fast foods, barbecues, and as a dip.
2. Tomato Sauce
- Tomato sauce is a tomato-based sauce commonly used in dishes such as pasta and pizza.
- Ingredients: The main ingredient of tomato sauce is tomatoes, and it may also contain garlic, onions, etc. The recipe of tomato sauce is different from ketchup and usually does not contain a lot of sugar or vinegar.
- Flavor and texture: The taste of tomato sauce is more inclined to the natural flavor of tomatoes. Compared with ketchup, it is less sweet and more sour tomato flavor, and the taste is richer due to the use of olive oil and herbs. Its texture is thicker than ketchup, but it still maintains a certain fluidity.
- Use: Tomato sauce is usually used in dishes such as pasta and pizza, and can also be used as a basic sauce for some Western dishes.
3. Tomato Paste
- Tomato Paste is the result of boiling and concentrating tomatoes, usually without too many other ingredients, and is the purest tomato flavor.
- Ingredients: Tomato Paste is mainly composed of tomatoes, which are boiled and concentrated for a long time to remove most of the water. It usually does not contain sugar, vinegar or spices.
- Taste and Texture: Tomato Paste has a very strong taste, with a strong sour taste and a distinct tomato flavor. It has a very thick texture and is dark red or dark brown in color. It is often sold in small cans.
- Uses: Due to its concentrated nature, Tomato paste is often used as a base seasoning and is common in dishes such as soups, sauces, and soup bases. It is used to enhance the flavor of tomatoes and can add color and thickness to dishes during cooking. Because of its high concentration, it needs to be diluted appropriately when used.
Although ketchup, tomato sauce and tomato paste all use tomatoes as their main ingredients, they are obviously different in taste, texture and usage. In addition, their processing equipment is also very different. We usually provide different tomato processing equipment according to different finished products. If you have any needs, please contact us.