# Ketchup on Hot Dogs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 6, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207 "2019-08-06T00:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/41 "2019-08-09T15:30:33Z")
I would argue that the hubs of culinary civilization are what they are precisely because they’re on the culinary frontier. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/42 "2019-08-09T15:34:54Z")
A sossidge inna bun is not pushing the gastronomic envelope. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/43 "2019-08-09T15:57:13Z")
To me, ketchup is a condiment you use to make up for a lack of flavor in the item in question. It’s so easily overpowering that you can use it to mask something that isn’t necessarily bad, but isn’t great. (I, for example, will not eat anything with mustard on it without ketchup. Mustard needs sweetness to balance that bitter/sour flavor, in my opinion.) So, to me, the reason not to like it hot dogs is when I’m getting a fancy hot dog with a bunch of flavors, as I don’t want to overpower it. On, say, a boiled, generic hot dog at home? Sure. But if I’m trying out a new flavor, I’ll leave it off, and, if I ever want any, it will be a small amount, and the only sweet condiment. I mean, I know what ketchup tastes like. It’s one of those things that doesn’t vary much at all, at least, in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/44 "2019-08-09T18:46:58Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > To me, ketchup is a condiment you use to make up for a lack of flavor in the item in question. To me, food is something you use to flavor your ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/45 "2019-08-11T05:53:11Z")
Oddly, this thread actually evoked continued thought off the board for me. I found myself examining my opinions about what sorts of food, and seasonings other people choose. Can’t say I was surprised by the fact that I could not remember what anyone I ever ate anything with put on their food, while we were together. As a kid, I remember the two available choices of mustard brands were described as “girls mustard” and “boys mustard”. I had four sisters, and a baby brother during that time. He didn’t eat mustard at the time. However, I cannot say with any confidence what mustard choices my sisters made in actual fact. I don’t know if anyone in the family liked ketchup on hot dogs. I don’t, but then, aside from french fries, I hardly ever put ketchup on anything. I don’t even have a favorite brand. Well before adulthood I had changed my mind about the boys mustard, and started using a brand my family did not favor. Concerning friends, both close and casual, I don’t know, and wouldn’t find out what condiment choices they make unless they brought it up in the case where we ordered together in a restaurant. That information would not impress itself on my long term memory. I did have a friend who liked a whole lot of ketchup, and I helped her foil the McDonalds’s Ketchup guardian’s limits on how many packets she could have. She’s the only person I can remember having a particular preference for condiments. Am I particularly peculiar in this facet of my ethics? Tris * * * The only thing I actually remember about hot dogs is that young children need them cut longways to avoid choking risk. Keep doing it until they object. Then watch them carefully. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/46 "2019-08-11T12:38:09Z")
“Girls’ mustard” and “boys’ mustard”? The concept is baffling to me. Especially given that you had only two brands, which probably meant French’s yellow and Heinz yellow, which are basically indistinguishable. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/47 "2019-08-11T12:56:47Z")
I usually prefer spicy brown mustard over yellow. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/48 "2019-08-11T16:04:17Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Ketchup does **not** belong on a hot dog any more than ranch dressing or **pineapple belongs on a pizza**. People desecrate (and enjoy) food in all kinds of strange ways, and I doubt they care what experts say. Nonetheless, > > So it’s not just Chicago; it’s New York, too. And then there’s [this](https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127197228) from NPR: > > _Hold The Ketchup: It may sound odd to some, but all the cooks we consulted begged home cooks to (please!) skip the ketchup. Unless, that is, your guests demand it._ > > I try to be tolerant, so if my guests demand it, of course I’ll supply ketchup. But I will avert my eyes while they’re applying and eating it. I salute your commitment to gastro-ideological purity. Specifically, I salute it with a large slice of pepperoni and pineapple pizza, enjoying the way the pineapple’s acidity cuts through the greasiness of the cheese, and the fruit’s sweetness nicely complements the savoriness of the sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella. My bolding. ---
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/49 "2019-08-11T16:44:18Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > To me, ketchup is a condiment you use to make up for a lack of flavor in the item in question. It’s so easily overpowering that you can use it to mask something that isn’t necessarily bad, but isn’t great. (I, for example, will not eat anything with mustard on it without ketchup. Mustard needs sweetness to balance that bitter/sour flavor, in my opinion.) > > So, to me, the reason not to like it hot dogs is when I’m getting a fancy hot dog with a bunch of flavors, as I don’t want to overpower it. On, say, a boiled, generic hot dog at home? Sure. But if I’m trying out a new flavor, I’ll leave it off, and, if I ever want any, it will be a small amount, and the only sweet condiment. > > I mean, I know what ketchup tastes like. It’s one of those things that doesn’t vary much at all, at least, in the US. Its true - here in Europe ketchup also does not taste of mustard. I thought you might need to know this. We still don’t know if we can eat it with omelet-de-fromage though. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/50 "2019-08-13T00:17:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > “Girls’ mustard” and “boys’ mustard”? The concept is baffling to me. Especially given that you had only two brands, which probably meant French’s yellow and Heinz yellow, which are basically indistinguishable. I’m 71, and Gulden’s has been around for as long as I can remember. Of course, there’s always Coleman’s (yes, we have it here in Yankeeland), but I save that for ham and roast-beef sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/51 "2019-08-13T01:05:17Z")
Well, this morning I woke up, and there was yesterday’s leftover, cooked-at-the-park brat, and rather than re-heat my onion/pepper mixture, decided to add ketchup and mustard after briefly heating in the microwave (“nuking,” in common parlance). It was pretty good, and I offer no further excuses. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/52 "2019-08-13T12:33:27Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Ketchup is a kid’s condiment, helping children get down stuff they would not eat by drowning it in sugar. If you even had to eat food prepared for children as a adult it becomes totally obvious what ketchup is. Have you ever read the ingredients for BBQ sauce? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/53 "2019-08-13T12:45:40Z")
Can you be [more specific](https://www.eater.com/2016/6/18/11966056/barbecue-sauce-styles)? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/54 "2019-08-13T13:07:46Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Can you be [more specific](https://www.eater.com/2016/6/18/11966056/barbecue-sauce-styles)? While I see your point, it is commonly know that most BBQ sauces are a composed of Tomatoes (ketchup), vinegar, and a sweetener such as sugar, molasses, honey, etc… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/55 "2019-08-13T13:41:37Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Ketchup is a kid’s condiment, helping children get down stuff they would not eat by drowning it in sugar. Ah, argument by insult. :rolleyes: Or maybe a variant on guilt by association. Kids also like what you like, so your tastes are infantile. The same logic would apply to sodas, to chocolate, etc. IOW, gimme a break. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/56 "2019-08-13T14:06:16Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > Have you ever read the ingredients for BBQ sauce? What has that to do with his statement? It certainly doesn’t negate it. It’s like I explained why Adolf Hitler was a terrible person, and then you asked, “Have you ever read about Ivan the Terrible?” ---
**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:** [August 13, 2019, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/57 "2019-08-13T14:07:38Z")
If you want to put ketchup on your hotdog, or truffles, or foie gras, or lobster, or caviar, or Kobe beef, more power to you. Your dish, your condiments. No moral judgement. At most, it’s like “I’d never do that”. According to Wiki the Chicago hot dog has “_yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt_” so please don’t try to BS me with “the purity of the bun and sausage,” it’s chock full of condiments. > [@RobDog](#): > > A sossidge inna bun is not pushing the gastronomic envelope. Exactly. There’s no mistery or exotic culture there. Sausages are tubes of ground meat, cilindrical burgers if you may. > [@cochrane](#): > > My philosophy is if things didn’t taste good with ketchup, it would never have been created. I feel the same about mayo, but I will die for your right to pout ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/58 "2019-08-13T14:20:22Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > What has that to do with his statement? It certainly doesn’t negate it. > > It’s like I explained why Adolf Hitler was a terrible person, and then you asked, “Have you ever read about Ivan the Terrible?” WTF? Godwin’s Law invoked in a thread about putting ketchup on your hot dog!? That’s a stretch! The point is, if kids using ketchup is “drowning it in sugar”, adults slathering everything in BBQ sauce is doubling down! ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/59 "2019-08-13T14:34:19Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > If they were hubs of culinary civilization then they wouldn’t be concerned with the etiquette of serving dubious-meat tubes in ghastly “bread”. Objection, your honor. The witness is stating an opinion, it is not testimony based on fact. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207/60 "2019-08-13T14:45:58Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > Sausages are tubes of ground meat, cilindrical burgers if you may. You’re being overly kind. The stuff in hot dogs is the stuff that [wasn’t good enough to be part of a burger](https://gizmodo.com/how-hot-dogs-are-made-and-whats-actually-inside-1599811171): > [@](#): > > After the steaks, chops, breasts, ribs, thighs, hams, tenderloins and briskets are removed, there’s a fair amount of gristle, fat and offal remaining on a butchered animal, and early on, people realized this could be put to good use. One of these products is the hot dog, a classic of pre-cooked, processed meat. > > Trimmings > The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (NHDSC) notes that hot dogs, whether regular, turkey, pork or beef, begin with “trimmings.” A purposely-vague word, trimmings come in lots of shapes and sizes. > > According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): “The raw meat materials used for precooked-cooked products are lower-grade muscle trimmings, fatty tissues, head meat, animal feet, animal skin, blood, liver and other edible slaughter by-products.” ETA: What goes into a hot dog doesn’t bother me in the least - it certainly hasn’t kept me from continuing to eat them. Just sayin’ this is what people are getting all ‘how _dare_ you put ketchup on it’ about. 🙂 > [@](#): > > I will die for your right to pout ketchup. I can cry a river, but I’ve never figured out how to pout ketchup. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-hot-dogs/838207.md?page=4)