Ketchup Popsicles Are Now a Thing, Thanks to French’s

Every now and again, a beloved food company tests the limits of what constitutes a delicious summer treat.

French’s has been offering a litany of flavorful concoctions for your burgers and hot dogs for over a century, including mustard, seasoning mixes and ketchup. On June 20, the condiment company announced a limited-edition treat to celebrate beach season — and used its ketchup to adorn another seasonal staple: the ice pop.

“French’s Ketchup will debut the ‘Frenchsicle,’ its new limited-edition ketchup-flavoured popsicle, to celebrate the first week of summer,” French’s said in a press release.

The frozen tomato-based treats are only available at pop-up locations in Canada until June 24, but if you’re aching for a taste, do not fret: French’s provides a simple recipe for Frenchsicles on its website.

All that stands between you and an ice-cold ketchup stick is four ingredients: tomato juice, ketchup, Frank’s RedHot sauce and an optional sprinkling of Caesar Rim, a Canadian spice mix that includes pepper, onion and citrus flavors. Its pop-up version, made by Canadian frozen treat company Happy Pops, also includes cane sugar, so perhaps add that to your grocery cart as well unless you prefer a more savory pop.

Reaction to French's limited-edition treat on the web ranged from sarcasm and shock to delight and curiosity, and Oscar winner Questlove, whose real name is Ahmir Khalib Thompson, even joined the discussion:

“Ahhh yup…just what the doctor ordered: Ice Ketchup!!!” wrote Questlove on Instagram.

“Add Vodka, celery, and 🌶️ and I am in,” said actor Debi Mazar in a reply to Questlove.

“Canadians love ketchup flavored chips, so this isn’t a stretch for them to green light,” commented another Instagram user.

They’re right: Canada does love ketchup. According to a survey conducted by French’s, 79% of Canadians say they like or love ketchup. Another 63% of Canadians agreed that ketchup chips (a popular Canadian potato chip flavor) were delicious according to a 2017 survey by Statista.

In America, the love for ketchup is a little less fervent: Only 63% responded in the affirmative when asked if they love ketchup according to a 2021 survey run by OnePoll and Applegate. Also, America doesn’t typically carry ketchup-flavored chips anywhere, which makes at least one TODAY Food reporter very sad.

This isn't the only time that French's has turned one of its sauces into ice-cool gold: In 2019, to celebrate National Mustard Day, it partnered with Los Angeles-based ice cream brand Coolhaus to create a mustard-flavored ice cream. Daring.

Regardless of how you feel about ketchup, mustard or any dishes including the ingredients, you may be wondering what the future has in store for the synergy of desserts and condiments. The hungry public has now been tempted to find out for themselves by going straight to the Frenchsicle source:

“Do you have a mayo one?” one user tweeted in response to French’s announcement.

Please … don’t give them any ideas.