Frozen ketchup on a stick? Classic condiment joins the popsicle party

We’ve seen envelope-pushing food and drink mash-ups before like macaroni and cheese-flavoured ice cream and poutine-flavoured root beer. Today in downtown Vancouver, French’s ketchup got in on the act with the 'Frenchsicle.'

It’s a ketchup-flavoured popsicle with ingredients including Frank’s Red Hot, rim salt and tomato juice.

“It’s actually something we’ve been wanting to do for a little while,” said Deborah Sharpe, marketing director for McCormick Canada, parent company of French’s. “We thought we’d combine a little bit of fun and maybe uniqueness into a fun quirky treat.”

French’s launched the 'Frenchsicle' as part of a limited-time promotional campaign, in partnership with Happy Pops.

“It was definitely the wackiest idea we’ve received in the last six years,” said Happy Pops founder Leila Jkeshabjee.

Jkeshabjee says she took inspiration from the classic Canadian cocktail – the Caesar.

“There’s even rim-salt on top of the popsicle,” she said. “It really gives you that Caesar feel, but it’s that Caesar made with ketchup.”

IS IT GOOD?

Josh Boettcher, a food blogger from Port Coquitlam, made the trek to Granville Street where free popsicles were given away from morning through early afternoon.

“It’s kind of like tomato soup,” said Boettcher, who goes by @itsjosheats on Instagram. “It’s good. I like it.”

Dozens of people who spoke to CTV News gave the Frenchsicle a positive review, comparing it to what it was concocted to taste like -- a frozen Caesar.

For every Frenchsicle given away, the company will donate two meals to Food Banks Canada, it says.

Anyone feeling left out has the option to make their own at home, using ketchup, tomato juice and hot sauce. French's posted the recipe online.

Each popsicle has approximately 48 calories, and about half of the sodium the average person needs in a day, based on Health Canada data.