How Ketchup Got Its Name

Published: Aug. 24, 2020, 4:59 a.m.

And the science of rocky road’s success… Ketchup started as a far different product from what’s on the shelves today. A lot of its evolution can be traced to an early government agency and a group there called “The Poison Squad” that tested the safety of different chemicals — by eating them. We hear that story. Then a linguist explains why the name “rocky road” actually makes the ice cream taste better. This episode is a special collaboration with Science Diction, a new podcast from the folks at Science Friday about the science stories behind everyday words. Get 500+ more great Sporkful episodes from our catalog and lots of other Stitcher goodness when you sign up for Stitcher Premium: www.StitcherPremium.com/Sporkful (promo code: SPORKFUL). Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.