At any given time, about 97 percent of American kitchens have a bottle of ketchup. American ketchup is made from red tomatoes, vinegar, salt, sugar and other ingredients. It has both a sweet and salty taste. It is, without question, America’s condiment. But it was not always that way. In fact, the story of ketchup begins over 500 years ago -- in Southeast Asia. Andy F. Smith is a professor of food history in New York City. He has published many books about American food, including Pure Ketchup: A History of America’s National Condiment. The word ketchup, Smith says, most likely comes from a Chinese dialect called Amoy. Ke-tsiap meant the brine of pickled fish. It probably originated in a Chinese community in northern Vietnam, Smith adds. Yes, America’s condiment developed from fish sauce.