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When the COVID pandemic began, it wasn’t surprising to learn there were meat, toilet paper, paper towel, and hand sanitizer shortages all over the country. More than a year later, toiletries, sanitizer, and ground beef can easily be found in your neighborhood grocery store. But there are still shortages popping up here and there caused by the pandemic. The newest is ketchup packets.
It might seem like a strange food item to be limited, but the shortage has everything to do with how the virus has shifted the way we purchase and eat food from restaurants. When dining in was no longer an option, people began picking up takeout instead.
All of these burgers, cheesesteaks, and tater tots came with condiments in small packages. Specifically, they all came with packets of ketchup. Because of this, restaurants ordered more ketchup than usual. Thus the demand for the sweet, tomato-based condiment went up as the supply lowered.
Luckily, Heinz has announced recently that it is going to up production to make up for the newfound need for extra ketchup packets. Therefore, this shortage probably won’t last for long. But, in the meantime, we’ve decided to rank the best condiments that aren’t ketchup. Check them all out below.
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Ranked! Condiments
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10) Salsa
Salsa toes the line between condiment and dip as it’s primarily paired with corn chips. Dump some salsa onto a cheeseburger to add a spicy, flavorful kick.
Photo: Silvia Elena Castaeda Puchetta / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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9) Tartar Sauce
Tartar sauce is sure to ruffle some feathers. This sauce made from mayonnaise, relish, and various herbs is the perfect companion to a Friday night fish fry. It’s also a great dipping sauce for french fries. Give it a try.
Photo: Rosanna U (Getty Images)
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8) Ranch
Go to Buffalo, New York, and they’ll fight you if you try to dip chicken wings into ranch dressing. They prefer blue cheese dressing. Feel free to dip your pizza into ranch. They won’t mind.
Photo: Roberto Machado Noa (Getty Images)
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7) Gravy
Gravy is confusing because it’s a sauce. But it’s only used to add some salty, savory flavor to mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, or meatloaf. Can you imagine Thanksgiving without this condiment?
Photo: Ryan Benyi Photography (Getty Images)
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6) Butter
Sometimes we forget that butter is technically a condiment since it’s used as an ingredient in recipes. But there’s no better condiment to melt on a piece of crisp toast than butter.
Photo: Jamie Grill (Getty Images)
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5) Barbecue Sauce
Barbecue sauce is often used to flavor grilled and smoked meats. But, after your brisket, pulled pork, or smoked chicken is cooked, this sauce is used to slather it with sweet, savory goodness.
Photo: Michelle Arnold / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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4) Relish
In our opinion, a cheeseburger straight from the backyard grill isn’t complete without the addition of sweet, crunchy relish on top. It’s the perfect complement to salty, savory meat and cheese.
Photo: DustyPixel (Getty Images)
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3) Mustard
Mustard has always played second fiddle to ketchup. But we’re going on record saying that there’s no better complement to a charred hot dog than a squirt of tangy, yellow mustard.
Photo: Andrew Balcombe / EyeEm (Getty Images)
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2) Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is a jack-of-all-trades condiment. It’s great slathered on a turkey sandwich, a hamburger, or in chicken salad. It’s salty, creamy, and perfect.
Photo: La Bicicleta Vermella (Getty Images)
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1) Hot Sauce
It’s hard to think of a better condiment than hot sauce. When we talk about hot sauce, we mean Frank’s Red Hot, Tobasco, and Crystal-type sauces. Use it on your eggs, mac and cheese, sandwich, or just drink it in a shot.
Photo: Michelle Arnold / EyeEm (Getty Images)
