Feb. 9. 1850.
_Catsup_ (no. 8. p. 125.).--"Catsup" is to be found thus spelt in Todd's
_Johnson's Dictionary_ (London, 1818). He describes it as a kind of
Indian pickles imitated by pickled mushrooms; and quotes these two lines
of Swift:
"And for our home-bred British cheer,
Botargo, catsup, and cavier."
An eminnet Sanscrit scholar informs me that "kuck-hup" is the
Hindostanee word for Turtle; it is to be met in the Vocabulary attached
to Gilchrist's _East Indian Guide_ (8vo. London, 1820). May not the name
of the sauce take its origin from the use of it in preparing the turtle
for the table? In the _Cuisinier Royal, par Viart_, p. 75., it is
mentioned among the "petites sauces," as ket-chop, "ou Soyac;" and the
receipt for making it ends with "servez le avec le poisson." (Published
at Paris, 1840.)