What is it about boring, normal ketchup that makes it "fancy"? Ketchup, at least in the USA, is about as boring as a condiment can possibly get. It's hard to imagine anything "fancy" coming out of a tube like this:



Why, then, is it frequently called "fancy"?  Is there some other type of tomato ketchup that is less fancy, and has fallen out of popular usage, such that the "fancy" designation actually carries some meaning lost to history?
Found in this wiki  article , is the following information:


  "Fancy" ketchup
  
  Some ketchup in the U.S. is labeled "Fancy". This is a USDA grade, relating to specific gravity. Fancy ketchup has a higher tomato solid concentration than other USDA grades.
  
  USDA Ketchup Grades

Grade           Specific Gravity  Total Solids
Fancy           1.15              33%
Extra Standard  1.13              29%
Standard        1.11              25%



Hope this helps!  :)