Flavor Profile: Is there any complexity—tang, sweetness, depth—in the flavor profile or is it just shallow and one-note? Is it too sweet or too sour?
Texture: Is it smooth or chunky? Does it pour out cleanly or does it glob? Is it thin and watery, thick and jelly-like, or somewhere in between?
Appearance: Does it look appealing or appetizing? Does the color look natural or artificial?
Fine Print
The Lineup: We tasted 9 different brands of ketchup available in local groceries, both tomato and banana (because we’re Pinoy). This came up to 4 banana ketchups and 5 tomato ketchups.
Why We’re Doing This: When we think of ketchup, brands like Del Monte and Heinz easily come to mind. Will they still come out on top in a blind taste test? Are there overlooked brands that deserve more attention? Which brands make the most tomato-ey and banana-y ketchups?
How We Tasted: All products were tasted as is, and with French fries.
Blind Taste Test: All products were removed from their packaging, labeled, and separated into two groups: banana and tomato ketchup. All were tasted blind to prevent brand bias.
How We Scored: Each product was evaluated across 3 criteria. Final placements reflect the Pepper team’s averaged impressions.
Transparency: No brand paid for inclusion in this taste test. However, Del Monte has been a past advertising partner of Pepper.
