Does your relationship pass the ketchup test? Forget the ‘orange peel theory’, now women are using condiments to test their boyfriends’ commitment
To determine whether your relationship is sincere, a new TikTok trend has been created by Generation Z.
The so-called ketchup test, which has been tested by social media users around the world, uses the household condiment to test their partner.
It involves a woman pouring ketchup on the counter and asking their partner to clean it up, and if they are willing to do so, they pass the test.
With over 150 million views on TikTok, the test has caused a storm on social media and consists of two simple steps.
First, women spray the sauce over a kitchen surface. They then ask their male counterparts to clean up the mess, and if they comply, they pass the test.
Maggie (left), from the US, shocked her partner (right) when she squirted ketchup all over the kitchen surface
Its predecessor, the “orange peel theory,” tested relationships in a similar way.
The phrase is an umbrella term for partners who bear our small acts of love that lighten their partner’s burden.
The theory started with a TikTok clip showing a conversation between two former partners from the US, reminiscing. One of them said they miss how their former lover would peel an orange for them – a task they always make a mess of.
It soon prompted others to share their stories of people showing them love in subtle but meaningful ways.
Some people even admitted to breaking up with their partners because they weren’t treated to these acts of love.
Now the trend has a spin-off theory, the ketchup test, which requires a little servitude.
Kate (right), from the US, didn’t have to say a single word for her partner (left) to clean up the red sauce
Content creator Maggie was impressed with her partner who, despite being confused, dutifully cleaned up the sauce
In one case Katefrom the US, poured the sauce over the counter and her friend cleared it away without saying a word.
Maggie, from the US, got a different response from her partner. ‘What are you doing? No,” her partner exclaimed as she went to pour the sauce.
She responded and said, “Clean it up.”
He asked, “What’s the matter with you?” However, he proceeded to clean up the sauce.
Maggie captioned the clip, which has been viewed more than 15 million times: “So surprised he actually passed this #ketchup test.”
Elsewhere, content creator Mindy McKnight, from Utah, got a shock when her husband licked the sauce instead of using a paper towel.
“I thought you wouldn’t be the idiot, but you were,” she said.
“I definitely didn’t expect this,” she captioned the clip.
Vidya Gopalan, from Phoenix, also tested her husband. Her husband dutifully obeyed, but noted, “That was a lot of ketchup you wasted.”
Kate didn’t have to say a single word before her partner grabbed a paper towel and cleaned up her mess
Social media users took to X, formerly called Twitter, to share their thoughts, and many were unimpressed
The test came back negative on X, and people believe there are better ways to find out if a romantic relationship is real.
One said: ‘If you use TikTok to test your relationship, you get what you deserve.’
‘Real? The Ketchup Test! I’m so glad I was born then and not later, said another.
A third agreed, saying: ‘I’m not sure why so many people want to show off their relationships like it’s some kind of competition.
“These meaningless public displays for a few clicks will inevitably lead to long-term damage in their private lives.”
Another added: ‘We have finally reached the stage in the development of our civilization where we can entrust the riches of our love life to food herbs.
‘What an age to be alive.’