A saucy tale

FOR more than a decade now, my husband has been harping on about how "ketchup in Singapore tastes different from ketchup in Canada" (his birthplace). Each time, I've rolled my eyes and said something to the effect of: "Dude, you're nuts. Ketchup is ketchup."

But all that changed last month when we travelled to North America. Unlike my prior trips, I made it a point this time to consume my ketchup - dare I say it - with great thoughtfulness and care, making sure to ask of my tastebuds: Could he be right? Does this taste any different from the condiment I know from home?

To my surprise (and at considerable cost to my pride), I soon conceded that ketchup indeed tastes different across borders. At least to me, ketchup in Singapore is much sweeter than ketchup in Canada or the US, where the sauce is far more tangy.