Ketchup may not be as controversial a condiment as, say, mayonnaise, but this new trendy way to get your fix of the tomato spread may very well be. Food & Wine reports that "ketchup leather" is a thing, and Los Angeles restaurant Plan Check wants you to put it on your burger in lieu of ketchup in liquid form.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who would be horrified by the concept of ketchup leather, and those who are intrigued. Whether you're the former or the latter, ketchup leather, which was created by Plan Check's executive chef Sean Yontz, is what it sounds like. It's basically a fruit leather, made with dehydrated ketchup, that you can plop on your burger a la a slice of cheese. The reason for the texture change-up? According to Yontz, the ketchup leather doesn't make one's burger bun soggy, even though the it melts when it hits a warm patty.
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"Our new and recurring guests are huge fans of ketchup leather," Yontz told Food & Wine. "[Los Angeles] locals especially are always game to try out fresh and different experiences."
Personally, I'm in the camp that ketchup was perfectly fine on its own — though I am down to try ketchup leather now that I know it won't taste like I'm snacking on a piece of thick paper when I bite down on a burger. (Oh, the horror...) After all, American cheese looks and tastes pretty wonky before it's melted to perfection, and I imagine that ketchup leather works in a similar fashion. You may not want to snack on slices of ketchup leather (ew), but that doesn't mean it won't pair quite nicely when placed on a sandwich.
Now that we've worked through ketchup leather, it's time to settle the real ketchup debate at hand: does it go in the fridge or pantry?