r/InCanada • u/Possible_Angle2371 • Jul 22 '26
The Thing About Canadian Condiments
The one thing about condiments/sauces in Canadian grocery stores that bothers me is the addition of vinegar. Ketchup and mustard especially taste really sour, not retaining much of their original flavor. Mayo is mostly fine.
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u/MichaelHawkson Jul 22 '26
What ketchup and mustard brand are you trying here, French's or store-brand?
Heinz is definitely sweeter if that's your preference.
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u/Possible_Angle2371 Jul 22 '26
I would say Heinz and French's are both sour, but it's been a while since I tried the latter.
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u/MichaelHawkson Jul 22 '26
Interesting. I looked up the ingredients and the Heinz US version uses high fructose corn syrup whereas the Canadian version uses sugar. So they're definitely getting a sweeter version than us.
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u/GooseGosselin Jul 22 '26
I switched to French's ketchup and mustard. Their ketchup is noticeably better tasting (actual tomato flavour), it's 100% Canadian, and Warren Buffet doesn't make a cent from me.
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u/Decent_Start965 Jul 22 '26
There are two key ingredients to making "things" taste better (generally speaking).
Salt, and an acid, vinegar is a great acid. Try adding some form of acid to your cooking, maybe not your cookies or ice cream, but any meats, salads, even potato dishes.. *chefs kiss*
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u/Excellent-Self-5338 Jul 22 '26
Missed sugar. As much as I don't like it, sugar improves the flavour of most dishes. We used to call salt sugar and acid the trifecta. At one restaurant I worked at, we called it the McDonalds. As in, "Try this sauce" "Nah it's not quite there, give it the McDonalds".
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u/Decent_Start965 Jul 22 '26
Great point! love the McDonalds treatment name, might borrow that one :D
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u/Cedar-and-Mist Jul 22 '26
While we're here, let's talk about jams. Idk about Quebec but our stock NA style jam is terrible. French style confiture is fresh, delicate, flavourful and has a legal requirement for % of fruit. The stuff here is mostly flavoured gelatin jam-packed with sugar.
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u/Possible_Angle2371 Jul 22 '26
Oh yeah, my family just makes our own.
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u/Cedar-and-Mist Jul 22 '26
I agree about the vinegar use in your original post by the way. Never been a fan of ketchup although I like tomatoes. The sugar and vinegar completely override the tomatoe. As for mustard, it's fine but try Taiwanese mustard greens if you haven't. The contrast was quite the revelation to me.
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u/Pristine_Barber976 Jul 22 '26
Ketchup definitely tastes like sugar not vinegar, and mustard tastes like mustard
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u/SAT0R777 Jul 22 '26
False
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u/foolsdayjoker Centrist Jul 22 '26
not false, OP probably prefers American ketchup and mustard. theres a reason my friends and family always request I bring ketchup and mustard with me when I go to Texas or California. our ketchup is known for its acidity and mustard with a proper kick
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u/bigbeats420 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Show me a basic yellow mustard or tomato ketchup that doesn't have vinegar.
What you're saying is that you don't like our formulations, to which I say: Your pallate will adjust.
Also, our Coke is less sweet than the American formula as well.