On the morning of the 6th, at Ottoki Studio in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, the scene was set for the 'Ottogi Ketchup' 55th Anniversary Cooking Class. Donning an apron and standing before a scale, the first step involved quickly mixing ketchup and Worcestershire sauce into butter that had been slightly melted in a microwave. Wrapping the mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerating it for 30 minutes yielded 'ketchup butter'. Placing this freshly made ketchup butter atop a just-grilled pork neck steak caused it to melt instantly. Tasting the ketchup butter alone, its signature sharp tang was balanced by the butter's rich aroma, leaving only the sweetness of the ketchup and the smoothness of the butter on the palate.
The menu prepared that day consisted of two dishes: 'Ketchup Butter Pork Steak' and 'Meatball Napoli Pasta'. Here, ketchup served not merely as a condiment to be drizzled or dipped onto finished dishes but as a core ingredient determining the dish's flavor profile. The steak sauce blended 'Ottogi Tomato Ketchup', Worcestershire sauce, apple vinegar, and corn syrup to enhance umami, while the pasta sauce was stir-fried with 'Ottogi Low-Sugar Ketchup', mustard powder, chicken powder, and Napoli pasta sauce. Although traditional Napoli sauce already contains tomatoes, adding ketchup's deep flavor and mustard's sharp aroma created a richness and depth comparable to professional restaurant-quality pasta.
'Ottogi Ketchup' first launched in Korea on August 2, 1971, as a glass bottle product. At the time, domestic ketchup suffered from poor quality and was overshadowed by foreign brands. However, since its launch, Ottogi Ketchup expanded its usage beyond omurice and hamburgers to various home-cooked dishes, establishing itself as the "National Sauce." As of the first half of this year, cumulative production reached approximately 1.65 million tons (t), with cumulative sales totaling around 5.433 billion units based on 300g portions.
Insisting on the spelling 'Kechap' instead of the standard Korean term 'Ketchup' in the product name also reflects a commitment to preserving its original identity from the launch period. Ottogi has even registered 'Ottogi Kechap' as a trademark. To improve ketchup quality, Ottogi independently developed its own tomato variety (OTG 364). Recently, the company has been conducting various marketing initiatives aimed at expanding ketchup's role beyond a mere condiment into an enjoyable experience. This includes merchandise like the Kakao Commerce Ryan Edition and consumer participation events such as the popular 'Gamtwi Gathering' (an offline meetup for sharing french fries).
Despite holding a 90% market share in Korea, Ottogi continues to seek broader engagement with consumers because the ketchup market is shrinking amid an increasing variety of alternative sauces. An Ottogi representative stated, "As the leading company, expanding the base of the ketchup market remains one of our key challenges."
The cooking class was also designed to offer a new way for people to experience and enjoy ketchup beyond traditional uses. Anyone could apply to participate via social media (SNS), and this session reportedly attracted 1,400 participants, highlighting its popularity. An Ottogi representative noted, "Many participants expressed surprise after the class, exclaiming that they didn't realize ketchup had such versatile applications." They added, "We aimed to demonstrate that even an ordinary condiment like ketchup can create unique and diverse dishes."
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