Heinz Turned Its Ketchup into Caviar

In many ways, Heinz Ketchup is ketchup. Yes, plenty of other ketchup brands exist, but Heinz’s iteration so defines the condiment that when Americans think ketchup, they probably conjure up the color, texture, and flavor of Heinz whether they want to or not. It begs the question: If Heinz Ketchup is so indicative of what ketchup is, can it even be improved upon? Well, maybe if it came in caviar form…

In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, Heinz is releasing an extremely limited batch of an upmarket new take on their classic ketchup called Heinz Ketchup Caviar. Only 150 jars will be available to the public, and the only way to score one is to enter the brand’s sweepstakes via Twitter. “Reply with #HeinzKetchupCaviar and #Sweeps for the chance to get your hands on one of 150 jars this Valen-HEINZ day,” a pinned tweet explains on the official Heinz Ketchup Twitter page.

But what is Ketchup Caviar? First off, it’s not literal caviar. No fish roe were harmed in the making of this sweepstakes. Instead, Heinz Ketchup Caviar is a molecular gastronomic spin on the classic condiment that attempts to recreate the joys of ketchup in pearl form.

“Each jar of Heinz Ketchup Caviar contains exquisite, delicious tasting pearls of Heinz Tomato Ketchup that are sure to elevate your Valentine’s Day meal into a fine dining experience,” a spokesperson for the brand explained. “Heinz partnered with caviar specialists Jens M?ller Products ApS to put care, love, and passion into making Ketchup Caviar, which is made with the ingredients and the process essential for creating the caviar pearl consistency. Ketchup Caviar is an innovation specially designed for ketchup lovers, giving you the delicious taste of Heinz Tomato Ketchup in each pearl. Every Heinz product is unique, so while Ketchup Caviar is not made in the exact same way as Heinz Tomato Ketchup, its taste and texture has been inspired by the thick and rich taste of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.”

The sweepstakes will run until the end of the day on January 28, after which winners will be selected via a random drawing. The lucky recipients will then be contacted via direct message to get a mailing address for their 1.8-ounce jar of Heinz Ketchup Caviar — which should hopefully arrive by Valentine’s Day. And finally, on February 14, you can use a tiny spoon to shovel Ketchup Caviar into your mouth as a reminder of why this is your least favorite day of the year.