The ketchup poll

[DCnDC]

What are your feelings about ketchup?

[silenus]

It's often abused, but it is a necessary condiment and ingredient.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

It's a must on hash browns. (Actually I buy chili sauce, which AFAICT is just ketchup with a nicer texture.)

[pulykamell]

I take silenus's balanced position. It is often abused (for example, my cousin who was visiting from Poland a few weeks ago asked for a bottle of ketchup when we took him to an Italian wood-fired pizza place and doused his pizza in it before even taking a bite. Yipes. He seemed somewhat bemused that that was one thing Americans didn't put ketchup on.) And I will not use it on any kind of sausage ever (well, except for the occasional currywurst.) However, used tastefully, it's a nice blast of sweet, sour, and umami.

[LaurenIpsum]

Generally I only use ketchup on hamburgers and hot dogs.

The only other time is in cooking, as I have a few recipes (such as sweet & sour chicken) that call for a spoonful or so of ketchup.

[RealityChuck]

Ketchup on hamburgers and fries. Not much else.

[pulykamell]

Generally I only use ketchup on hamburgers and hot dogs.

The only other time is in cooking, as I have a few recipes (such as sweet & sour chicken) that call for a spoonful or so of ketchup.

Not too long ago, I found a surprisingly good recipe for a stir fry that called for gobs of ketchup. Ah, here it is (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/12/dining/the-minimalist-a-condiment-gets-to-shine.html). Manchurian chicken a la Mark Bittman. I make my current version slightly differently, spiked with a bit of oyster sauce, a healthy dose of fresh ginger, and crushed dried Asian peppers (like Thai or Chinese) rather than cayenne pepper. But I'll be darned if it's not super tasty, and I'm not a guy who generally likes sweet & sour stir fries.

[Procrustus]

I don't consider myself a picky eater, but I just don't care for ketchup on anything. Cont explain it.

[Gil-Martin]

For me it's ketchup on hamburgers if the restaurant automatically serves them that way, and that's about it. I can't think of anything else, including fries, that I would willingly consume with that awful red stuff on it. Alas, the other people in my family willingly dump ketchup on just about anything.

[Ann Onimous]

Ketchup with hamburgers and fries, but I only dip both in it: and all over scrambled eggs. Also, on top of meat loaf in the final few minutes of cooking. That's it.

[silenus]

Gotta have it for my meatloaf glaze as well. Fries, burgers, hashbrowns, eggs, as the base for my BBQ sauce....all sorts of uses.

[Small Hen]

I don't love it on everything (scrambled eggs? No thanks) but I voted the "All for it" because I'm overall a big fan, and because I've noticed this weird sort of attitude towards ketchup that if you like it, you must be a childish, unsophisticated person. As if putting ketchup on ground up pork byproduct incased in intestine, or a pound of cow muscle means that you're not worth knowing (for the record, I don't put ketchup on steak - I prefer BBQ sauce).

[An Arky]

I use it on fries (although I've been making fry sauce (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fry_sauce) lately), in cocktail sauce and in meatloaf. It's perfectly fine with some things. I don't get why some people seem to want to lynch it. I'm not a fan of putting it on hot dogs, though, taste-wise or philosopically.

[Chefguy]

Overused in our culture, but has its uses for glazes and burgers. Drowning perfectly good food like fries in it is a travesty, IMO, and putting on hot dogs should be outlawed.

[Procrustus]

I use it on fries (although I've been making fry sauce (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fry_sauce) lately), in cocktail sauce and in meatloaf. It's perfectly fine with some things. I don't get why some people seem to want to lynch it. I'm not a fan of putting it on hot dogs, though, taste-wise or philosopically.

I only want to "lynch it" because it's everywhere and so many people just expect that it's going to be appreciated. Sure, it's no big thing to ask for a burger "without ketchup" but you can't imagine how many times they screw that up. Basically, I'm a live and let live king of guy. My wife enjoys ketchup on her fries. As long as there are enough uncontaminated so I can eat some too, I'll tolerate her unusual preference.

[cochrane]

Overused in our culture, but has its uses for glazes and burgers. Drowning perfectly good food like fries in it is a travesty, IMO, and putting on hot dogs should be outlawed.

You'll get my ketchup when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

It has a place on top of many foods, although I'll concede it is overused by many people. But it is an essential with fries. I'm also one of those who put it on my hot dogs, but not by itself. I'll also put mustard and relish on with my ketchup. I love it on macaroni and cheese. And I will eat it on things like meat loaf and Salisbury steak.

[An Arky]

I only want to "lynch it" because it's everywhere and so many people just expect that it's going to be appreciated. Sure, it's no big thing to ask for a burger "without ketchup" but you can't imagine how many times they screw that up. Basically, I'm a live and let live king of guy. My wife enjoys ketchup on her fries. As long as there are enough uncontaminated so I can eat some too, I'll tolerate her unusual preference.

I didn't take your post as being extreme; it's perfectly fine not to like something, even hate it, since it's just a matter of personal taste. It's the "ketchup is an abomination and must be eradicated" type of attitude I don't get.

Funny; my wife's the one that doesn't want ketchup on her fries. :)

[dropzone]

Drowning perfectly good food like fries in it is a travestyFries exist solely as a ketchup delivery system.

[cochrane]

Basically, I'm a live and let live king of guy.

You sound like the kind of king I could easily live under. :D

[pulykamell]

Fries exist solely as a ketchup delivery system.

My test for whether a fry is truly great or not is whether it needs ketchup. That said, I will usually put some sort of condiment on the fry anyway (malt vinegar being my favorite), but never a crazy amount unless the fries are sub-par.

[Son of a Rich]

I like to add a little Tabasco to my ketchup and stir it in with the first fry.

[TBG]

Sure, it's no big thing to ask for a burger "without ketchup" but you can't imagine how many times they screw that up.

Sure I can, considering I know exactly how many times they screw up when I ask for a burger "with just catsup" and wind up with pickles or lettuce or something on it.

[pudytat72]

man, I came in here thinking this was a poll about brands of ketchup.

I wanted to mention Highway ketchup. My mother bought it because it was cheap, and we joked that they made the ketchup by putting the tomatoes on the highway and letting the trucks run over them!

Occasionally I like ketchup with my fries, but I like to mix ketchup with ground beef to make sloppy joes.

[silenus]

When it comes to brands, Hunt's wins most blind taste tests.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

I'm for it for obvious but limited uses, with one proviso: if it isn't Heinz it's a food crime. The rest are pretenders.

[samclem]

What are your feelings about ketchup?

Note well. Your poll is an epic fail. It wasn't specific enough about your feelings. Not concise. Useless.

[Chefguy]

You'll get my ketchup when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

It has a place on top of many foods, although I'll concede it is overused by many people. But it is an essential with fries. I'm also one of those who put it on my hot dogs, but not by itself. I'll also put mustard and relish on with my ketchup. I love it on macaroni and cheese. And I will eat it on things like meat loaf and Salisbury steak.

Do you also dump it into your mashed potatoes, potato salad and on top of your baked potatoes?

[Swords to Plowshares]

I like ketchup with, say, Cajun fries because it tempers the spiciness. If it's just regular fries, then I'd like something to spice them up (like Sriracha in the ketchup).

I used to always put ketchup on my burger, but lately I have just been enjoying either A-1 or BBQ sauce on burgers more.

Ketchup has a time and place but I probably use it far less than average.

[cochrane]

Do you also dump it into your mashed potatoes, potato salad and on top of your baked potatoes?

No. I'm not a Philistine. ;) But I'll happily eat it on fried potato slices. I used to put it on mashed potatoes when I was a kid, but I grew out of it.

[Catfood Purrito]

Why do people get their panties in knots over what other people eat? Whether I like mustard, ketchup, or chocolate sauce and marshmallow cream on my hot dog is nobody's damn business but mine. Other than a touch of yellow mustard on a fast food burger or in chicken/egg/potato salad, I find mustard revolting, sometimes I gag a little if I catch a whiff of brown mustard while making someone a sandwich, but I don't go around impugning the intelligence of everybody who likes it.

[samclem]

Why do people get their panties in knots over what other people eat? Whether I like mustard, ketchup, or chocolate sauce and marshmallow cream on my hot dog is nobody's damn business but mine. Other than a touch of yellow mustard on a fast food burger or in chicken/egg/potato salad, I find mustard revolting, sometimes I gag a little if I catch a whiff of brown mustard while making someone a sandwich, but I don't go around impugning the intelligence of everybody who likes it.

Well, to pick apart your reply. You like yellow mustard on a burger. Not good. Yellow mustard is bland.

[guizot]

Not too long ago, I found a surprisingly good recipe for a stir fry that called for gobs of ketchup.Ketchup is the principle ingredient for cooking pad thai noodles (which are stir fried).

Other than that, I have almost no use for it.

[pulykamell]

Ketchup is the principle ingredient for cooking pad thai noodles (which are stir fried).

Really? I honestly don't think I've ever had pad thai with ketchup (then again, I don't eat a lot of pad thai.) It's usually fish sauce, tamarind juice, and chile peppers, ain't it?

[pulykamell]

Well, to pick apart your reply. You like yellow mustard on a burger. Not good. Yellow mustard is bland.

Yet, somehow, just right for a burger. I have probably near a dozen different varieties of mustard in my fridge, but hamburgers and hot dogs get exactly one kind: Plochman's yellow mustard. French's will do in a pinch. Nothing else tastes right on those foods.

[Ruby]

I don't love it on everything (scrambled eggs? No thanks) but I voted the "All for it" because I'm overall a big fan, and because I've noticed this weird sort of attitude towards ketchup that if you like it, you must be a childish, unsophisticated person. As if putting ketchup on ground up pork byproduct incased in intestine, or a pound of cow muscle means that you're not worth knowing (for the record, I don't put ketchup on steak - I prefer BBQ sauce).This...and for the record, I DO put ketchup on steak. :p

[JoThrive]

Ketchup does have a lot of sugar in it. :(

[Tamerlane]

Fried potatoes and scrambled eggs. Sometimes glaze for meatloaf. That's about it for me ( though I'll tolerate it on a burger, I don't put it on burgers I make myself ). So it has its place and I usually have some on hand. I just don't make heavy use of it.

[fifty-six]

Fries only for me. I prefer other options when tradional recipies call for katsup. Like Barbq sauce on my meatloaf as a glaze and some as an internal ingredient as well.

I do use it to make cocktail sauce if the company needs it for oysers.

[Two Many Cats]

Ketchup is half of my special "Emergency Sauce", for use in cheap restaurants. The other half is yellow mustard. Preferable brands: Heinz and French's.

Mix red ketchup and yellow mustard on separate plate, using coffee saucer, if necessary. The sauce should be a burnished orange in hue. Use as dipping sauce for grilled meats. Also good with liver.

Dipping meat instead of slathering ketchup and mustard on the meat itself ensures that the ketchup and mustard are properly mixed.

[Elendil's Heir]

On hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries. That's it for me. But I once read that Richard Nixon liked ketchup on his cottage cheese. :: shudder ::

[guizot]

Really? I honestly don't think I've ever had pad thai with ketchup (then again, I don't eat a lot of pad thai.) It's usually fish sauce, tamarind juice, and chile peppers, ain't it?It's common to just use ketchup instead of tamarind (+ sugar) to give the cooking sauce more body. You'd be surprised how similar it tastes, after it's fried--but tamarind is lighter and tangier. (And put the chile on after as garnish by individual taste.)

[elfkin477]

I like ketchup a lot, but only on burgers, hot dogs, sandwich steaks (cube, shave) and fries. I'm a little horrified when I think about it on eggs or french toast.

[dropzone]

My test for whether a fry is truly great or not is whether it needs ketchup. That said, I will usually put some sort of condiment on the fry anyway (malt vinegar being my favorite), but never a crazy amount unless the fries are sub-par.Thinking towards Monday, "Honey, I know you like poached eggs for dinner, but how about over easy with the yolks soaking into the hash browns as you walk through the door?"

Thing Two will still use ketchup, but it's what she likes.

I couldn't cook a parrot, but onions, tates, and eggs? It's what I do.


Okay, 350 on either side for about 18 minutes. You won't enjoy it, but the parrot will no longer be contagious.

[DWMarch]

I'm for it for obvious but limited uses, with one proviso: if it isn't Heinz it's a food crime. The rest are pretenders.

More than you know. More than you ever wanted to know:

http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_09_06_a_ketchup.html

[Fourtyfold]

Ketchup is best with potatoes IMO, (although not as good as butter and salt) I don't use it much for anything else. Hellmanns is my prefered brand.

[septimus]

I always put ketchup on hamburgers, never mustard.
Yet I always put mustard on hot dogs, never ketchup.
Am I weird, or is this normal?

(On french fries, I sometimes put ketchup, sometimes mustard.)

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

The older I get, the less I use ketchup.

It still needs to go with burgers and fries, though. At least a little bit, most of the time.

[hogarth]

I don't like ketchup, but I wouldn't scrape it off of a fast food hamburger or a meatloaf. Sometimes I use BBQ sauce where another person might use ketchup (e.g. mixed into a pot of Kraft Dinner).

[Enderw24]

Short of cereal or ice cream you could put ketchup on anything. And I may be convinced to try ketchup ice cream.

[Spoons]

Ketchup has its place. I don't tend to use it all the time, but sometimes a burger with ketchup tastes pretty good. Same with fries. And I agree that when it comes to ketchup, it's got to be Heinz.

And I may be convinced to try ketchup ice cream.I don't think we're quite there yet, but you could try some ketchup-flavored potato chips (http://www.walmart.ca/Grocery/Snacks/Chips-Popcorn/Lays-Kettle-Cooked-Ketchup-Potato-Chips). :)

[amarone]

Only on hot dogs and burgers, because I don't like them much and ketchup masks the flavor (sometimes I am at cook outs and the only food options are burgers and hot dogs). I don't have ketchup with anything else for the same reason - ketchup masks the flavor.

[chiroptera]

Ketchup on fries.
That's about it, IMO.

[BigT]

Only on hot dogs and burgers, because I don't like them much and ketchup masks the flavor (sometimes I am at cook outs and the only food options are burgers and hot dogs). I don't have ketchup with anything else for the same reason - ketchup masks the flavor.

I've found that I can overcome this by using a very, very small amount. I'm talking leftover on the plate as you've finished it. You can still taste it, but it doesn't overwhelm the flavor.

I personally do like those things you mentioned, but sometimes I get a bad hamburger. My favorite thing to do in these situations is to put on a thin layer of ketchup with a thin layer of mayonnaise. The combination is the flavor of the gods, giving all the tastes (while only very lightly sweet) and overpowers things that even ketchup alone can't.

Because, honestly, ketchup by itself just doesn't taste that good. Even if you can't taste the food under it, just having it there makes the ketchup more palatable. Adding mayonnaise, though, makes it perfect.

[Rushgeekgirl]

I like it well enough on burgers and fries and sometimes as a dip for those ruffled chips but it has to be Heinz. It's just something I don't go any cheaper on, especially when the price difference isn't that significant. Even better is the organic Heinz. I don't care about organic anything but I had this and it was just SO good I can't go back to regular.

[Bordesley]

It has to be H.P. Simply the best, better than all the rest...

[legalsnugs]

Ketchup goes with hot meat loaf only. And once it's cold, as in a sandwich, it gets mayo. It just does.

[eenerms]

I'm for it for obvious but limited uses, with one proviso: if it isn't Heinz it's a food crime. The rest are pretenders.

Yeah, but you have to make sure WHERE it was made if you are out of the USA. Eygpt Heinz makes nasty ketchup. Ick

[installLSC]

I only use ketchup on hot dogs, fries, and tater tots. Then again the only other thing I'll put any sorts of condiments on is sausages/wursts, which must have yellow mustard. And condiments only go on fries if they're bland or have started to cool down; vinegar can go on from the start, but how often do you see restaurants with vinegar anymore?

[etv78]

What I use Ketchup on:
1.Burgers/Hot Dogs
2.Fried Potato dishes
3.Eggs

[Jaledin]

For the first time in my life I have a bottle of ketchup in my fridge -- have had it for six months or so. Going through a tater tot kick a while back, before I decided I didn't care for them. It's OK, don't use it for anything, though -- a few weeks ago I put it on something.

Oh, wait -- it's fine on hamburgers! That's what I used it on recently. Good stuff! I rule!

[Happy Lendervedder]

I only eat ketchup with foods that contain the word "hash"-- either browns or corned beef.

[Fear Itself]

The only thing I must have ketchup on is boiled dinner: smoked shoulder, cabbage and potatoes. Something about boiled cabbage that demands ketchup.

I also cannot make kale soup without it.

[Jaledin]

Something about boiled cabbage that demands ketchup.

Learn something every day. Are you serious? Do you grab a forkful of cabbage and dip into ketchup? Not saying it's wrong, just never seen it done nor tried it.

FWIW boiled cabbage does demand a few things, but I never thought of condiment.

Fight my ignorance, kiddo! I love cabbage and am always looking for a way to improve the cruciforms in general.

[Fear Itself]

Learn something every day. Are you serious? Do you grab a forkful of cabbage and dip into ketchup?Mostly I just squirt ketchup all over the cabbage on my plate. For variety, sometimes I use catsup.

ketchup... catsup... ketchup... catsup...

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

ketchup... catsup... ketchup... catsup...
No love for Katsup? Catchup? Ketsup?