Although squabbles still erupt over whether the spelling is catsup or ketchup, the original form of the tomato-based condiment’s name was a happy blending of the two spellings—catchup—which appeared in 1690. Today, the ketchup spelling has become established in Britain and Canada, but catsup remains the main form in most parts of the United States. The word—or words—derive from Amoy, a dialect of southeastern China from which English has also taken pekoe, the name of a highly prized tea. In Amoy, the original name of the condiment was ke tsiap, meaning brine of pickled fish, a name that suggests how much the ingredients of ketchup have changed since its introduction to Europe three hundred years ago.