# Ketchup On A Chicago Dog. Is it Legal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055 "2014-12-12T20:21:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/41 "2014-12-30T23:42:12Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > how is it with ketchup? Uncircumcised heathen! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/42 "2014-12-31T00:02:13Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Not so fast davidm. If you had to ask why ketchup is nix (Hey, you started his thread) and tomatoes are OK on a dog, (resting peacefully on a poppy seed bun) then you do not know the difference. > > Shame! I didn’t ask that, I said that neither is acceptable; and I didn’t start this thread. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/43 "2014-12-31T01:10:18Z")
Ketchup is for French fries, tater tots, onion rings, and that particular kind of fish that is sold breaded and frozen and aimed at kids. Nothing else. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/44 "2014-12-31T01:44:33Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > By definition, a Chicago hot dog doesn’t have ketchup on it, so once you introduce ketchup into the mix, it’s no longer a Chicago hot dog. If you like hot dogs that way, though, go for it. 🙂 It seems like it’s a Chicago hotdog with ketchup then. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/45 "2014-12-31T01:49:35Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Not so fast… (Hey, you started his thread)… > [@davidm](#): > > … I didn’t start this thread. 😕 That’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/46 "2014-12-31T12:46:32Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Clint Eastwood didn’t help with the ketchup hot dog thing. What movie was that where he said something like: Nobody, and I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog? You’ve reminded me of a scene from _Klondike Fever_. I never read the Jack London book, I only saw this one scene from the movie. Jack and an old prospector snowed in together in a small cabin in Alaska, and have been for an extended time, and are running low on food. The old prospector starts describing the last steak he ate, in St. Louis or Kansas City (can’t remember which). He goes into exquisite detail describing the steak, how thick, how juicy, etc. Jack is listening, mouth open and watering, completely mesmerized as the description goes on. The old man ends his description with, “… and smothered in tomato sauce.” Jack instantly snaps out of it, gets the most outraged look on his face, and yells, “YOU DON’T PUT TOMATO SAUCE ON A STEAK!” Much brawling ensues. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/47 "2014-12-31T13:37:57Z")
Hot dogs should have Mustard, chili, slaw, and onions like God intended. I think it’s in Leviticus or Numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/48 "2014-12-31T15:36:35Z")
My dog; my toppings. Your dog; your toppingd. Mine is either mustard or mayo/kétchup. Of course, hot dogs are a _choripán_’s poor cousin and I won’t even mention _salchicha de huacho_ because you would question how you imagined any stage of your life happy before having one. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/49 "2014-12-31T17:03:10Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Hot dogs should have Mustard, chili, **slaw** , and onions like God intended. I think it’s in Leviticus or Numbers. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/50 "2014-12-31T17:27:52Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Wait. You lost me at “the Tomato Slices”. Before we even discuss ketchup (which doesn’t belong on a hot dog), who the hell puts tomato slices on a hot dog? Does Chicago have to screw up both pizza _and_ hot dogs? > (And why are"Tomato Slices" and “Tomato Content” capitalized?) 😛 I do. When my stepkids were young, we ate a lot of Hebrew National hot dogs. They put ketchup on theirs (and nothing else) and I liked chopped onion and chopped fresh tomato (and nothing else) on mine. Now I want a hot dog. Thanks a lot. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/51 "2014-12-31T20:03:05Z")
Ketchup has a use. It belongs on the top of a meatloaf. For this reason alone, I snag a few ketchup packets whenever I visit a fast food establishment. If I actually bought a bottle of ketchup, it would outlast the current millenium. Born and raised in da region, there are two culinary constants: Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza. I acknowledge that other people like their dogs/pizza in other ways. Just like I acknowledge that there are other religions with different practices than mine. I live with a New Jersey native who embraces New York city dogs and pizza. We both look at each other enjoying our individual food styles, and smirk with superiority, each knowing ours is better. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/52 "2014-12-31T20:42:52Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > My dog; my toppings. Your dog; your toppingd. > Mine is either mustard or mayo/kétchup. Mayo? Now you’re pulling our legs. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/53 "2014-12-31T23:13:54Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Mayo? Now you’re pulling our legs. If there is a cooked mammal/bird and it’s not improved by mayo, you shouldn’t eat it. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/54 "2014-12-31T23:43:23Z")
Mayo is like the vanilla ice cream of condiments. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/55 "2015-01-01T00:57:24Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Hot dogs should have Mustard, chili,\*\* slaw\*\*, and onions like God intended. I think it’s in Leviticus or Numbers. I think you misspell Sauerkraut there. Slaw is something else entirely, sort of a side, not a topping. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/56 "2015-01-01T04:01:13Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > If there is a cooked mammal/bird and it’s not improved by mayo, you shouldn’t eat it. > [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Mayo is like the vanilla ice cream of condiments. Mayo trumps all condiments - except Dijon mustard. In fact the list of condiments in descending order of Magnitude of Importance (MOI) is: Dijon mustard Mayonnaise Ketchup That’s the list. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/57 "2015-01-01T06:39:23Z")
Lived in Chicago for 5+ years, grew up in NW Indiana. [I think it’s OK.](http://i.imgur.com/wqH5qpG.jpg) > [@kanicbird](#): > > I think you misspell Sauerkraut there. Slaw is something else entirely, sort of a side, not a topping. Slaw dogs are big in West Virginia. Or they were when my mom was a kid. She just won’t shut up about them 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/58 "2015-01-01T12:29:05Z")
I see coleslaw on a dog having the same problem as ketchup: sugar. Coleslaw dressing is primarily mayo, vinegar, and a crapton of sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/59 "2015-01-02T01:02:22Z")
We had a recent thread about American Foods ([15 things Americans eat that Foreigners hate - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742560)) in which I mentioned that traditional American food was traditionally too sweet for traditional Australians. Ketchup is one of those things that has changed. Tradional Australian tomato sauce was pepper flavoured, not sucrose flavored. Dunno what you’d think of that: I’m not seeing any pepper on your description of a Chicago Dog. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/60 "2015-01-02T03:51:18Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Ketchup is one of those things that has changed. Tradional Australian tomato sauce was pepper flavoured, not sucrose flavored. Dunno what you’d think of that: I’m not seeing any pepper on your description of a Chicago Dog. Pepper piperaceae or pepper capsicums? We do dress hot dogs with “[sport peppers](http://www.viennabeef.com/chicago-sport-peppers)” which are little tiny chiles of some sort that are pickled. I think they’re gross, but I don’t like pickled jalapenos or giardiniera either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055.md?page=4)