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isn't ketchup (catsup) technically a smoothie?

Corey
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  • You don't typically cook smoothies, where as ketchup is cooked down quite a bit. – FoodTasted Nov 28 '10 at 02:58
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    Okay, the question is a little silly, and wrong, but does it really deserve four down votes? I mean, really? – Daniel Bingham Nov 28 '10 at 04:39
  • @Daniel: I would hazard a guess that some people view at as a [joke question](http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/04/joke-questions-please-refrain/) or at least borderline, hence the downvotes. I've always believed that the best way to handle them is to just answer them honestly and not take the (flame)bait - but at the same time that doesn't mean we should encourage it. Maybe the question is actually not a joke, but that is one reason why it helps to be specific and detailed, to avoid negative interpretations. – Aaronut Nov 28 '10 at 05:07
  • It was borderline joke/actual question. I honestly did not know what constituted as a smoothie, and ketchup is smooth... I guess... Mostly it was intended to be a little humorous, and as such I expected this type of response. I am grateful for the serious answers. – Corey Nov 28 '10 at 07:18
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    I'm upvoting, not because I think it is the greatest question we've ever had, but I think @Aaaronut's answer shows that it is well posed and valid, so I don't think it deserves the down votes. – Michael Natkin Nov 28 '10 at 09:26
  • Downvote for just copying an (old) meme into a question: http://memegenerator.net/Philosoraptor/ImageMacro/3260626/If-tomatoes-are-a-fruit-isnt-ketchup-technically-a-smoothie – Brendan Long Nov 28 '10 at 22:36
  • Upvote for humor, and a good answer from @Aaronut – BaffledCook Nov 28 '10 at 23:13
  • If the word fruit is used in a way to include tomatoes then it should also include peppers, squashes, aubergines, cucumbers etc. Why do tomatoes get all the attention? – bdsl Jul 27 '15 at 22:00

2 Answers2

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Definition 1:

A smoothie (also known as a "smoothy") is a blended, chilled, sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit (fruit smoothie) or vegetables and in special cases can contain chocolate.

Definition 2:

[...] a thick beverage of fruit pureed in a blender with ice and milk, yogurt, or juice.

  1. Ketchup is not considered a beverage by anybody I know.
  2. Ketchup is not made only from fresh fruit and ice/milk/yogurt/juice. It has many other ingredients.
  3. Ketchup is probably not made in a blender.
  4. There are plenty of food items made from fruit that aren't smoothies (is applesauce a "smoothie?").

So, no, it's not a smoothie simply because it contains a fruit.

Aaronut
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During the Reagan years, it (ketchup) was allowed to be a vegetable option for school lunches, e.g. if you had french fries and ketchup, that counted as two vegetables.

Satanicpuppy
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  • Wasn't Reagan, it was one of the Bushes. – Marti Nov 28 '10 at 16:52
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    @Marti: No, it was [during the Reagan administration](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2517/did-the-reagan-era-usda-really-classify-ketchup-as-a-vegetable). – Dennis Williamson Nov 28 '10 at 23:43
  • @Dennis Williamson: thanks, didn't know that. Could've sworn it was in the news in the 90s - in the 80s I was too young to pay attention to such things. – Marti Nov 29 '10 at 15:00