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isn't ketchup (catsup) technically a smoothie?

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You don't typically cook smoothies, where as ketchup is cooked down quite a bit. – FoodTasted Nov 28 '10 at 2:58
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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 4:39
@Daniel: I would hazard a guess that some people view at as a joke question 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 5:07
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 7:18
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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 at Herbivoracious Nov 28 '10 at 9:26
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2 Answers

up vote 16 down vote accepted

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.

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I know a two year old that would dispute point (1), but overall, good answer! – Michael at Herbivoracious Nov 28 '10 at 9:25
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@Michael: I'm not quite as far gone as that two year old, but I do consider french fries to be utensils! – Dennis Williamson Nov 28 '10 at 23:45
up vote 2 down vote

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.

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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. – 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

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