Following on from Elisabeth’s post, Top Five/Bottom Five: Condiment Edition, from over on The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist, I thought to give my 2 cents worth to the discussion. So, without further ado, here are my choices:
TOP FIVE
- Ketchup. Like most, I guess, ketchup reigns supreme here on the dinner table and in a lot of my cooking from Italian to Chinese. It’s just that versatile.
- Worcestershire Sauce. Yes, that condiment. The one no one outside of the UK can pronounce. This goes in and on so much of my food from soups and stews, to eggs and baked beans, to a good bloody Mary.
- Miracle Whip. Sorry, no mayo in our house, just way too many calories in there to be healthy for my poor arteries. So it’s Miracle Whip all the way, babe! From salads to sandwiches to sea food, it does the job, thanks.
- Lemon Juice. Yes, I use a lot and I mean, a lot of lemon juice in my salads, dressings, soups and stews, and as a pick me up to fish, and anything else I can thing of to squirt it on.
- Vinegar. What’s sometimes called the forgotten condiment, I love a good malt vinegar but also have at least 3 other varieties in my fridge at any one time. From balsamic to white, to malt, I love a good vinegar.
So there you have my top five. I’d also like to add in there soy, honey, dijon mustard and, of course, where would be without salt and pepper? As to my bottom five?
BOTTOM FIVE
- Hot Sauce. I am not a fan in any way, shape or form of hot sauces, which is strange for someone who loves spicy foods.
- Cranberry Sauce. This has got to be one of the worst possible condiments ever created. It’s either so bitter it’s inedible, or so sweet it’s inedible. Either way, it’s inedible.
- Maple Syrup. Sorry Canada (and Vermont) this stuff is just awful to the Nth degree. The fact people drench their veg and hams in it makes my stomach knot into a pretzel.
- Cream. Whipped Cream. Sour Cream. Just no. Even as a kid I disliked the feel of cream in my mouth.
- Dill and Dill Pickles. Nope. Not now, not ever.
And you, what would you say were your top and bottom five condiments?
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
I think we only agree on a few of your listings. Definitely vinegar is important. But I cannot get behind ketchup outside of burgers. I love sour cream and it goes on a lot of my dishes so definitely not in the bottom for me same as pickles I eat them on my sandwiches and I can drink the water from the jar. Sorry that is gross and of course maple syrup. However I rarely use it in savory foods.
This is what I love about everyone making lists like this, as it’s fascinating to see what foods (and or things) people choose, and why.
I use ketchup in a lot of my tomato based dishes, which is really why it’s on the list. I love pickled onions and even piccalilli (an English relish) for salads and sandwiches, but never liked gherkins.
I like everything on both lists except Miracle Whip.
I make my own cranberry sauce and I like it with less sugar than the recipe calls for. Would it be too tart for you? Probably. But it’s really good (to me). I don’t think of it as a condiment though. Maybe it is?
I prefer tart to sweet anytime, J. So your cranberry sauce would probably be a treat for me. And I guess some see it as a sauce rather than a condiment, but I guess it’s like apple sauce for pork. I don’t know if either is really a condiment.
Oh, I LOVE dill pickles. Yum. Though I love sweet pickles even better. And pickled beets? SO GOOD. Though, I’m picky. Only my mother’s recipe is acceptable. She makes the best pickled beets.
I love ketchup.
I’m with you on hot sauce, though I prefer mayo – despite growing up on Miracle Whip.
I’m a big fan of various pickles, Elisabeth, just not dill. I don’t know what it is about those little green gherkins. And yeah, mother’s always seem to have the best recipes. My mum was the only one who could get me to eat beetroot.
Oh, and another for ketchup but not hot sauce. There are not many of us, I think. Hot sauce seems to be really popular.