FANCY HANKS: Banana Ketchup Sauce – 330ml

The Filipino trick that beats tomato at its own game

Banana ketchup came out of the Philippines when tomatoes were scarce and bananas weren't, and the result turned out better than the thing it replaced. Fancy Hank's swap in ripe Aussie bananas, keep the ketchup backbone, and end up with the bottle that gets the most questions at the table. It's a staff-meal staple in their kitchen, which tells you everything.

The flavour

Sweet and floral up front — banana at 16%, but rounded and jammy rather than lolly-ish. Ketchup and tomato paste hold the savoury middle so it still reads as a condiment and not a dessert. Apple juice and vinegar bring the tang, garlic and spices land underneath, and it finishes clean and bright. Think chutney's fun cousin.

How to cook with it

• Serve it alongside fried chicken — the sweetness against hot, salty crust is the whole reason this sauce exists.
• Build a pork sanga with slaw and a solid smear of this instead of the usual barbecue sauce.
• Use it in place of chutney on a cheese board, next to a sharp cheddar or a washed rind.
• Glaze chicken wings with it in the last ten minutes, watching closely — the sugars catch fast.
• Put it on hot chips once and you'll never explain yourself to anyone again.

In the bottle

Amber-orange and smooth, closer to a thick ketchup than a chutney. It pours cleanly and sits on a plate without weeping.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Water, Ketchup (16%) Tomato Paste, Water, White Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Spices, Onion, Banana (16%), Apple Juice, Tomato Paste, Brown Sugar, Vinegar, Garlic, Spices, Salt, Xanthum Gum (415).

Dietary: Vegan. Preservative free. Contains gluten — barley and wheat. Always check the physical label.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Every good idea in food came from someone running short of something, and this one's been quietly outrunning tomato since the war. Crumb your thighs in Atomic Chicken Southern Fried Coating, fry them properly, then put this and a spoon of Uncle Mungo's Crispy Chilli Oil side by side. Sweet against crunch against chilli — that's the whole trick.

Questions answered

What is banana ketchup?
A Filipino condiment that uses banana instead of tomato as the base. It's sweeter and more floral than regular ketchup, but still savoury enough to use the same way.

Does it taste like banana?
Yes, but jammy and rounded rather than sweet-lolly. There's ketchup and vinegar underneath keeping it honest.

Is it gluten free?
No. The brand lists it as containing gluten, barley and wheat. Always check the physical label.

Is it hot?
No heat at all. On Hub Heat it rates 0/11 — Cool As.

What do I use it on?
Fried chicken, pork sangas, hot chips and cheese boards. Fancy Hank's use it on sangas in the restaurant.