Why ketchup was banned in the USSR: an explanation

During the Soviet era, there were quite a few different bans, the reasons for which remain unclear to this day. For example, the production and sale of ketchup was banned shortly after the country had established its production.

FoodOboz investigated why this happened. As it turned out, one of the reasons was... the name of the product.

As you know, the USSR was famous for its dislike of everything foreign, especially the United States. This silent conflict became most acute after World War II. Even the name of the product reminded the Soviet authorities of its "overseas" origin, so it was soon removed from general use.

It is interesting that these events took place after Anastas Mikoyan, then People's Commissar of Food Industry, visited the United States in the 1930s and borrowed the technology of ketchup production from that country. He put a lot of effort into making sure that the people of the Union could enjoy its taste. At that time, its appearance caused a real sensation.

And after the ban on sales and production, people were offered "Southern", "Krasnodar" and "Spicy" sauces as an alternative to ketchup. They simply had no choice, because ketchup disappeared from store shelves for a long time.