If I were the king of ketchup, I would decree many more flavors - chipotle, spicy Thai, Carolina barbecue and certainly curry.

But it seems the country that first gave us luxury cars has beaten me to the realm of curried ketchup. For years, the German condiment company Hela has produced curried ketchup, in flavors of mild, sharp and garlic. Hela ketchup has loyal fans who bugged Horace McDonell, who owns Krause's at Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine, to stock the squeezeable bottles.

Germans squirt the flavored ketchup on wurst, but this would-be king could eat it on just about anything, especially fried shrimp, fish, potatoes and crispy goetta.

If you're unsure about curry in your ketchup, try the mild (delicat) first. It's sweet, with a pleasant, familiar, curry background and virtually no spicy heat.

Carolina barbecue flavor still sounds tasty, but I better move quickly to keep up with those German ketchup engineers.

Hela Curry Ketchup is available at Krause's for $3.99 per 400 ml.

Chuck Martin