Why ketchup was suddenly banned in the USSR: the secret is out

A variety of tomato sauces were often sold in the former Soviet Union. They were used to prepare various roasts and first courses.

Ketchup, on the other hand, was impossible to find on store shelves. Its consumption and production were limited. FoodOboz analyzed the reason for this.

Starting in 1941, after the German attack on the USSR, the production of any product that did not fall under the concept of essentials stopped. And after the end of hostilities, the so-called Cold War began between the US and the USSR, turning these two countries first into adversaries and then into enemies.

Given these relations with the United States, it was out of the question to have any American products on the shelves of Soviet stores. Thus, while the 1939 cookbook contained many recipes with this product, the 1952 edition did not mention the word "ketchup" even once. Shortly after that, "Krasnodar", "southern", "hot", and "barbecue" sauces appeared in stores, which differed significantly in their taste from ketchup.

It wasn't until the late 1980s that ketchup reappeared on the shelves. But we shouldn't forget that it was at this time that the process of significant restructuring of the state began, which later grew into the collapse of the USSR.