Heinz 57 is a shortened, popular form of the
"57 Varieties" sloganA slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
of
Pittsburgh's
H. J. Heinz CompanyThe H. J. Heinz Company , commonly known as Heinz and famous for its "57 Varieties" slogan and its ketchup, is an American food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J...
. In its early days, the company wanted to advertise the great number of choices of canned and bottled foods it offered for sale. Although the company had more than 60 products in 1892, the number
5757 is the natural number following 56 and preceding 58.- In mathematics :Fifty-seven is the sixteenth discrete semiprime and the sixth in the family. With 58 it forms the fourth discrete bi-prime pair. 57 has an aliquot sum of 23 and is the first composite member of the 23-aliquot tree...
was chosen because the numbers "5" and "7" held special significance to
Henry J. HeinzHenry John Heinz was an American businessman who founded the H. J. Heinz Company.-Early life:Heinz was one of eight children born to John Henry Heinz and Anna Margaretha Heinz...
.
The number "5" was Henry Heinz's
lucky numberIn number theory, a lucky number is a natural number in a set which is generated by a "sieve" similar to the Sieve of Eratosthenes that generates the primes.Begin with a list of integers starting with 1:...
; the number "7" was his wife's lucky number.
Prepared horseradishHorseradish is a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family, which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, and cabbages. The plant is probably native to south eastern Europe and the Arab World , but is popular around the world today...
was their first product.
The slogan is printed on
Heinz pickle pinThe Heinz pickle pin is an advertising item from the H. J. Heinz Company, being a small green pin made in the shape of a pickle. Being continuously offered for more than a century, and with more than 100 million pins produced over the years, it is both one of the longest-running and most...
s that are distributed by the millions.
"Heinz 57" is also the name of one variety of Heinz
steak sauceSteak sauce —brown sauce —is a generic term for a dark brown sauce commonly served as a condiment for meat.The two terms are similar but not identical...
, which is distinct from other steak sauces in its color and flavor. Heinz 57 Sauce is a reddish sauce with a taste more akin to spicy
ketchupKetchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
than to other steak sauces. Heinz often markets the sauce as "ketchup with a kick" to highlight this distinction.
1934 Cookbook Definition
- Heinz Oven-Baked Beans with Pork and Tomato Sauce
- Heinz Oven-Baked Beans without Tomato Sauce, with Pork--Boston Style
- Heinz Oven-Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce without Meat--Vegetarian
- Heinz Oven-Baked Red Kidney Beans
- Heinz Cream of Asparagus
- Heinz Cream of Celery Soup
- Heinz Cream of Green Pea Soup
- Heinz Cream of Mushroom
- Heinz Cream of Oyster
- Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup
- Heinz Bean Soup
- Heinz Beef Broth
- Heinz Clam Chowder
- Heinz Gumbo Creole
- Heinz Mock Turtle Soup
- Heinz Scotch Broth
- Heinz Noodle Soup
- Heinz Pepper Pot Soup
- Heinz Vegetable Soup
- Heinz Consomme
- Heinz Onion Soup
- Heinz Mince Meat
- Heinz Puddings--Date, Fig, and Plum
- Heinz Peanut Butter
- Heinz Cooked Spaghetti
- Heinz Cooked Macaroni
- Heinz Pure Jellies
- Heinz Apple Butter
- Heinz Gherkins--Sweet or Sour
- Heinz Mixed Pickles--Sweet or Sour
- Heinz Chow Chow Pickle
- Heinz Sweet Mustard Pickle
- Heinz Dill Pickles
- Heinz Fresh Cucumber Pickle
- Heinz Strained Foods
- Heinz India Relish
- Heinz Sandwich Spread
- Heinz Pickled Onions--Sweet and Sour
- Heinz Spanish Queen Olives
- Heinz Stuffed Spanish Olives
- Heinz Ripe Olives
- Heinz Pure Spanish Olive Oil
- Heinz Tomato Ketchup
Heinz Tomato Ketchup is a brand of ketchup produced by the H. J. Heinz Company. It is the largest and fastest-selling product the company has ever distributed.First introduced in 1876, it remains one of the best selling brands of ketchup...
- Heinz Chili Sauce
- Heinz Beefsteak Sauce*
- Heinz Pepper Sauce--Red or Green
- Heinz Worcestershire Sauce
- Heinz Prepared Mustard--Brown or Yellow
- Heinz Evaporated Horseradish
- Heinz Mayonnaise
- Heinz Pure Malt Vinegar
- Heinz Pure Cider Vinegar
- Heinz Distilled White Vinegar
- Heinz Tarragon Vinegar
- Heinz Rice Flakes
- Heinz Breakfast Wheat
- Heinz Tomato Juice
*Beefsteak Sauce was later renamed to Heinz 57 Sauce in 1940.
Mythology
The relatively high
viscosityViscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
and pseudoplastic nature of
ketchupKetchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
can make pouring it from a glass bottle somewhat difficult and unpredictable, and several urban legends surrounding this phenomenon have arisen. According to one popular folk remedy, repeatedly hitting the "57" mark on a glass Heinz ketchup bottle makes the ketchup pour out more quickly and easily. The
New York Times claims this is a matter of intentional design, with Heinz having placed the "57" mark on that particular spot of the bottle as a target for consumers to hit.
Other uses
The name Heinz 57 is also sometimes used to describe a dog which is a mix of multiple breeds, and also referred to if a person has 5 or more nationalities in their background (i.e. Irish, German, Jewish, Greek, Polish).
In a game of bingo, it is common to hear "Heinz variety" being called out to represent the number 57, in the same way that "two little ducks" represent 22 and "two fat ladies" for 88. Heinz 57 is also a nickname for
British Rail Class 57The Class 57 diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004. They are rebuilds, with reconditioned EMD engines, of former Class 47 locomotives, originally introduced in 1964-5.- Description :...
locomotives.
When Pittsburgh-based Heinz purchased the
naming rightsIn the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
of
Heinz FieldHeinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
in 2001, they signed a deal to pay the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
$57 million for the rights. Although the Steelers could have easily attracted more money for naming rights, it was intentionally decided on for $57 million. For the following year, when local ads for the then-new Heinz Field were airing on TV, the commercial showed several Steelers players running out of the team's locker room, all wearing
jersey numberThe uniform numbers in American football are unusual compared to those in any other sport. They are displayed in more locations on the uniform than in those of other sports , and on the front of the jersey, they are displayed very large, taking up almost the entire front of the jersey...
57 (in reality, linebacker
John FialaJohn Charles Fiala is a retired American football linebacker who played from 1998-2002 with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League....
was wearing the number at the time the commercial aired), and the number 57 was painted at the 50 yard line instead of the typical number 50.
Columbus Blue JacketsThe Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
player
Steve HeinzeStephen Herbert Heinze is a former National Hockey League right wing. He was drafted in the third round, 60th overall, by the Boston Bruins in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft....
wore the jersey number #57 after joining the team.
External links