Condiment Facts for Kids

The mustard plant

A condiment is something special you add to food to make it taste even better! It can be a spice, a sauce, or a mix of ingredients. People use condiments to give food a new flavor, make its natural taste stronger, or simply to go well with a dish.

Long ago, the word "condiment" meant foods that were pickled or preserved. But over time, its meaning changed. Now, it includes many things we use every day.

You often find condiments in small, single-serving packets, especially with take-out or fast-food meals. Think of the tiny packets of ketchup or mustard! Usually, you add these yourself. But sometimes, they are already in your food, like ketchup or mayonnaise in a sandwich. Some condiments are even used while cooking to add flavor or change the texture of a dish. Barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, and soy sauce are good examples.

The word condiment comes from an old Latin word, condimentum. This word meant "spice, seasoning, or sauce." It also comes from another Latin word, condere, which meant "to preserve, pickle, or season."

What is a Condiment?
A Brief History of Condiments
Condiments in the United States
Images for kids
See also

What is a Condiment?

A tray of different condiments and spices

What exactly counts as a condiment can be a bit tricky! Some people think spices and herbs, like salt and pepper, are condiments. They use the words "condiment" and "seasoning" to mean the same thing.

However, others say a condiment is a "prepared food mix" that has one or more spices. These are usually added to food after it's cooked. Examples include mustard, ketchup, or mint sauce. In some European countries, even cheese is seen as a condiment!

A Brief History of Condiments

Mustard is a very popular condiment

Condiments have been around for a very long time! People in Ancient Rome, Ancient India, Ancient Greece, and Ancient China all used them. Back then, before we had good ways to keep food fresh, strong-flavored spices and condiments were often used. They helped make food taste better, especially if it was starting to spoil.

There's even a cookbook from the 4th and 5th centuries that has a whole section just about condiments! This shows how important they were, even thousands of years ago.

Condiments in the United States

The market for condiments is how companies sell them and how people buy them. In the United States, people spend billions of dollars on condiments each year. This market is one of the biggest in the world for special foods.