Malcolm Gladwell, a fellow University of Toronto alum, in his essay, "
The Ketchup Conundrum", mentions that the reason Heinz ketchup has had such an unprecedented global appeal is because it perfectly balances the "five known fundamental tastes in the human palate: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami."
If you look at the ingredient list for Heinz ketchup, you will find that it has tomato concentrate, which has the umami flavor, also present in mother's milk. The second ingredient is vinegar, which provides sourness, another of the fundamental tastes. The next set of ingredients are high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup, which satisfy our primal desire for sweet food. I have already discussed the addictive properties of high fructose corn syrup in my
meatloaf recipe blogpost. The last set of ingredients, present in Heinz ketchup, salt, spice, onion powder, and natural flavoring, gratify the salty and bitter taste receptors. Ketchup, unlike any other condiment available in the supermarket, satisfies all five primal sensory taste buds, all at once, "in one long crescendo".
It is no wonder that children love ketchup because it tastes familiar. It has the umami flavor, and a balance of sweetness, saltiness, bitterness and acidity. Gladwell also mentions that small children "tend to be neophobic: once they hit two or three, they shrink from new tastes". It is imperative to introduce young children to a variety of flavors and cuisines, at a young age, instead of limiting their palate to simple foods, like cheese pizza, plain white bread, and/or bland pasta.
Growing up, my husband had a very limited palate. His diet consisted of mainly meat, processed food, and sodas. Fruits, vegetables, and lentils were completely foreign to him. So when we had our daughter, we made sure that we expose her to all food groups, and we do not dumb down flavors for her.
Although my husband's palate has evolved overtime, he still does not like eating vegetables or eating fresh fruits. So when I made Nazkhatun, a Persian eggplant dip, my husband not only ate it, but loved the vegetable dish. So without further adieu, let me share the recipe with you. The recipe consists of eggplants and tomatoes, which have the umami flavor. The pomegranate molasses, used here and in most Persian dishes, provides the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. The angelica powder, another Persian cuisine staple, has slightly bitter undertones. So here is a recipe, which much like ketchup, satisfies all five fundamental taste buds.
