What Is Banana Ketchup? A Guide to the Filipino Condiment

Banana ketchup is one of the most iconic condiments in Filipino cooking, but despite its name, it doesn’t taste as banana-forward as most people expect! In this guide, I’ll break down what banana ketchup actually tastes like, how Filipinos regularly use it, and what makes it different from regular tomato ketchup.

Quick Overview

• Commercial banana ketchups don’t taste strongly of bananas. Most people would describe it as a sweeter, more gelatinous version of tomato ketchup.
• It can be used as a standard condiment or as part of a marinade or sauce.
• Banana ketchup was created during World War 2 in response to a large surplus of Philippine bananas and a scarce supply on tomatoes.

What is Banana Ketchup?

Banana ketchup, also known as banana sauce, is a Filipino-style ketchup made from bananas, sugar, vinegar, and other spices. Modern banana ketchups may also be dyed red to resemble traditional tomato ketchup.

It’s often one of the go-to dipping sauces in many Filipino households, and our family regularly had both kinds of ketchup sitting side-by-side in the fridge!

Developed by Maria Orosa during World War 2, she made use of the Philippines’ abundant supply of bananas to make the popular American condiment due to the priciness of imported tomatoes.

Taste and Texture

Most commercial banana ketchups tastes similar to standard Western ketchups as they’re both lightly tangy, but banana ketchups tend to lean just a tad sweeter. While not as popular, homemade versions may also taste slightly more banana-forward and fruitier in taste, depending on the recipe you use.

Texture-wise, banana ketchups tends to be more on the gelatinous, thicker side, especially when refrigerated. They also appear glossier and slightly darker in color compared to tomato ketchups.

How Filipinos Use Banana Ketchup

Like with most condiments, banana ketchup is similarly used as an everyday dip for crispy or fried foods. It’s also commonly integrated into barbecue marinades and sauces where it requires added sweetness, tanginess, and mild richness.

My parents love using banana ketchup as part of their Filipino Spaghetti sauce and for marinating Filipino-Style short ribs during grilling season. It’s also great mixed with mayonnaise (to make mayo-chup!) as a dip for lumpia or calamares.

Substitutions

You can substitute banana ketchup with equal parts tomato ketchup without altering the taste of the recipe too much. The biggest difference is sweetness, so recipes where banana ketchup is the star (like Filipino spaghetti) will taste noticeably different.

Overall, it’s not a huge dealbreaker to use tomato ketchup as a substitute, but I do exclusively use banana ketchup in all my Filipino or Filipino-inspired recipes as to give it both a distinct and familiar flavor profile.

Storage and Where to Buy

You can purchase banana ketchup in most Filipino or Asian groceries, found in the condiments aisle. Most popular brands my family goes for is UFC or Jufran, which can come in either regular or spicy variants. They may also be found in the international section of some standard grocery stores.

Once opened, store it in the refrigerator for freshness and to extend shelf life. Do note that refrigeration tends to make the sauce more gelatinous, so you might need to either use a thin spoon to scoop out the ketchup, or thin out the mixture with a small amount of more water to make it pourable.