Smoky ketchup

Smoky BBQ Ketchup with Hickory and Cranberry

This smoky ketchup from the Zum heiligen Stein manufactory is the house's answer to BBQ – featuring natural hickory smoke flavor and fruity cranberries. Handcrafted from Italian tomato paste, cane sugar, and raspberry vinegar, it is vegan and comes in a 200g jar. A ketchup that tastes like a summer barbecue.

The Smoky Ketchup by Zum heiligen Stein is a handmade BBQ ketchup from Muschenheim in Hesse, tomato-rich with a subtle smoky note. Nina Sauerborn developed the recipe with natural hickory smoke aroma and fruity cranberries – smoky, fruity, and savory, without any single note overpowering the others.

The smoky aroma of hickory and cranberry

As soon as you open the jar, the scent of wood smoke fills the air, followed by the sweetness of ripe tomatoes and a fruity hint of cranberry. It is the aroma that evokes memories of balmy evenings by the grill, even before the first spoonful hits your plate.

On the palate, the smoky ketchup is full-bodied and warm; the hickory smoke flavor settles like a fine haze over the fruit without overwhelming it. Nina wanted an aroma that remains delicate – "so that the taste doesn't stay with you all day," as she describes it. With 43% tomato paste, the base remains robust, while the cranberry provides a tart and fruity counterpoint.

The grill companion for steak, sausage, and burgers

The smoky ketchup is made for the grill: for steak, bratwurst, spare ribs, and burgers, where it extends the smoky notes from the grill grate. The smoky flavor also pairs beautifully with fried halloumi and roasted vegetables.

It makes for a more refined alternative to store-bought BBQ sauces when served with pulled pork, grilled corn, and crispy potato wedges. It contains absolutely no artificial flavorings – the wood smoke sets the tone, not the laboratory. For those who like it spicier, place the spicy version next to it; those looking for an elegant option for a special occasion should reach for the Truffle Ketchup.

Nina's recipe from the manufactory in Hesse

In 2010, Boris Sauerborn and his wife, Nina, took over the restaurant Zum heiligen Stein in Muschenheim near Lich, named after the roughly 4,000-year-old megalithic tomb that towers over the village.

During the pandemic, when everyone was cooking at home, Nina tinkered with two new varieties – the smoky and the truffle. For the smoky version, she had in mind a barbecue sauce she had enjoyed years earlier in the USA. That is how the small ketchup manufactory got its BBQ answer in a jar, cooked by hand from a few simple ingredients. "There is nothing better than homemade," as Grandma Mia's credo reads on every jar.

The business has grown steadily since then – in 2015, production moved to a former bakery, and in 2025 to larger premises to meet demand. Yet, it is still cooked by hand, in small batches. Respect.

Brushed onto grilled food in the final minutes

The smoky ketchup comes in a 200g jar, perfect for the table – once opened, it keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks. Brushed onto grilled food during the final minutes, the tomato caramelizes and the hickory aroma blossoms. With steak and spare ribs, you barely need anything else. For those who would like to get to know the mild side of the house, you can find it in the mild ketchup.