In recent weeks, millions of Aldi shoppers have been tuning into the Channel 4 show, Aldi’s Next Big Thing.
The show offers artisan food makers the chance to pitch their products to the supermarket chain hoping it will be stocked in over 1000 UK Aldi stores.
Previous winners have included Jamaican patty, wine spritz, crabcakes and chocolate clusters, and now there’s a new product to add to the list.
The latest winner has been named as the slightly odd but exciting taste of Roni’s Filipino-style banana ketchup.
Yes, banana ketchup.
It might sound mad and something that should never be put together, but the creators at Roni B’s Kitchen wowed Aldi judges and have seen the product enter thousands of stores.
I was able to get an early taste of the winning sauce and I have to say that it's oddly amazing.
I tried the winner of Aldi’s Next Big Thing- Banana Ketchup
As Brits, we can be very stuck in our ways when it comes to condiments, especially the sacred sauce of ketchup.
Despite not being a British delicacy, we have adopted it like it's our own with very few variations of its kind.
That’s why when I first heard that banana ketchup was the winner, I was a little bit taken aback, bewildered even.
The idea of mixing a tomato sauce with a fruit shocked and disgusted me, however, thanks to my curious mind, it left me wanting to try the product.
So, after taking in all the details labelled on the back of the bottle and reading the handing note by Aldi and Roni B’s Kitchen, I shook the bottle and let a dollop land on my plate as I prepared myself to taste the unique sauce.
At first glance, the colour may be off-putting to some, with it not being exactly red as a tomato sauce and maybe even slightly matte in shade, some may describe it as looking like a smoothie.
However, away from the look, the taste speaks for itself.
First tasting the sauce on its own, I was first met with a slightly reggae sauce, think Levi Roots Reggae Reggae sauce.
But what followed was a blend of exotic mixes slightly too odd for my taste buds to comprehend and too odd to not go in for another taste.
On the second taste, I began to understand the flavours and welcomed the mix of sweet and sour with a hint of spice.
While the banana is on the label, there’s no need to panic that the fruit is overpowering, as it somehow perfectly mixes with the zingy taste of tomatoes.
The label suggests drizzling, stir in or dollop, while I may have only dolloped, I could easily imagine adding the sauce to pasta or a chilli to add a twist of taste.
RECOMMENDED READING
- Aldi becomes first UK supermarket to stock new flavour of viral Takis crisps
- I tried Aldi's Tequila Rose and it needs to be added to your home bar- Here's why
Roni B’s Banana Ketchup can only be described as something that doesn’t work but just does.
You would never think a banana would go with a tomato, but the odd flavours of both seem to perfectly work.
In the same way that cheese and onion work, ham and jam work and grapes and cheese, you might not think of those partners working, but they just do.
Roni B’s Filipino Style Banana Ketchup will be available in Aldi stores nationwide from Wednesday, May 1.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here