I’m the type of person who eats fries without ketchup. I don’t usually reach for the red squeeze bottle at restaurants or diners, and I never save the little packets at the bottom of a takeout bag. But when I see a glass bottle of glossy, bright-red banana ketchup, I can’t resist.
Banana ketchup — or “banana sauce,” as it’s known in the Western world — is a condiment made from bananas, vinegar, and sugar. Filipino food scientist and nationalist Maria Orosa invented it in the 1930s to reduce the Philippines’ reliance on expensive imports such as tomatoes, and promote the use of native produce.
To this day her legacy endures, with several different brands’ renditions of the sweet and tangy sauce stocked on the shelves of grocery stores in the Philippines, as well as specialty Asian grocers all over the world and online. My personal favorite is UFC’s banana ketchup, which went on everything from fried eggs and hotdogs to lumpia Shanghai and my grandmother’s special spaghetti when I was growing up.
What Makes UFC’s Banana Ketchup So Good
On the bottle, just beneath the UFC logo, is the Tagalog phrase “tamis anghang,” which translates literally to “sweet and spicy.” It perfectly captures the flavor profile of UFC’s banana ketchup.
I love its sharp, tangy sweetness and the spice you can actually taste. Compared with traditional ketchup, UFC’s banana ketchup has a deeper, richer flavor that makes it stand out. My mom and I also appreciate a bit of heat, and the mild kick lingers as the flavors unfold on your tongue.
There’s also a “Tamis Angas” version — “angas” being Filipino slang for tough or cool — that is said to be 15 times spicier than the original.
The Best Way to Use UFC’s Banana Ketchup
I grew up in a Filipino household, and banana ketchup was the staple, cover-all sauce that went with everything: fried eggs, hotdogs, fried or roasted chicken, nuggets, lumpia, and burgers. My mom even slathers it on her pandesal at breakfast. Its punchy, salty sweetness literally goes with anything you’d imagine regular ketchup would pair well with.
But aside from being a side sauce, banana ketchup is also great for marinating grilled meats. It’s an absolutely essential ingredient for Filipino-style barbecue and grilled dishes like pork liempo, because it renders a signature sweet zing like no other condiment can.
And, of course, there’s the beloved (but, to some, infamous) Filipino sweet-style spaghetti. UFC’s banana ketchup, specifically, is my grandmother’s “secret” ingredient for her special lip-tingling spaghetti, which she still serves at her restaurant back in our small hometown. It’s still my favorite sweet spaghetti. My mother also likes to add a bit of the ketchup to her own homemade baked macaroni recipe, and it’s delicious.
What’s your favorite condiment? Tell us about it in the comments below.
