# So, is there anything we're allowed to put ketchup on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2016, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636 "2016-03-01T15:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/41 "2016-03-01T17:23:34Z")
I put ketchup on hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries. Also from time to time on boxed macaroni and cheese, on those rare occasions when we have it. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/42 "2016-03-01T17:25:39Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > [QUOTE=Grey] > bah! All right thinking people know you put HP Sauce on grilled cheese. I thought they just made computers and printers? [/QUOTE] No, you’re thinking of failure and recriminations. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/43 "2016-03-01T17:40:14Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Can I put ketchup on my beans, George? We ain’t got no ketchup, Lenny. I eat ketchup on lots of things. I put it on steak, hot dogs, eggs, ham, roast beef, macaroni and cheese, what have you. I don’t give a flying fuck what other people think about it. Just like I don’t give a flying fuck what everybody else eats. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/44 "2016-03-01T17:44:52Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > We all know putting ketchup on steak is a faux pas possibly beneath even Homer Simpson. According to the “You’re enjoying food wrong” thread, it’s also a no-no to put it on a hot dog. So is there any food that I can safely apply ketchup to without drawing scorn from the fooderati, or has it now attained the status of a total pariah, to be shunned by all castes of edible society? Total pariah as far as I’m concerned. Disgusting stuff, for the most part; it’s OK to cook with it, using it as a recipe ingredient, but it fails as a condiment. Proclamations as a ranking member of the Fooderati, though, do not as of yet prohibit you from putting it on your hamburger (although I wouldn’t) or dipping your french fries in it (mind if I saw EWWW! and put something to block my view so I don’t have to watch you doing so?) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/45 "2016-03-01T17:56:41Z")
ketchup is fine on hot dogs, though I’ll usually go for a spicy mustard instead. any “bunnable” sausage other than that (e.g. bratwurst) gets mustard. Also on fries. I can take it or leave it on a burger, as long as it’s not slathered with it. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/46 "2016-03-01T17:59:28Z")
No Ketchup is just high fructose corn syrup for babies who need everything to be sweet ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/47 "2016-03-01T18:44:47Z")
Eat your ketchup proudly on whatever you wish to put it on. My childhood bff’s brother ate peanut butter on everything - baked potatoes, eggs, meat loaf, even dessert. Everyone told him for years that it was either gross or wrong. Didn’t faze him one bit. Today he’s a big shot big wig at the CDC in Atlanta. And all those people who made fun of him aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/48 "2016-03-01T18:44:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There is one city on the planet where ketchup on a hot dog is considered verboten. Why do we let them tell the rest of us we’re all doing it wrong? You speak of Chicago, where the taboo is written in stone. While not expressly forbidden, however, putting ketchup on a hot dog in New York would get you shot as a dork. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/49 "2016-03-01T19:01:15Z")
Well now, I was hoping that the tone of my OP would convey the fact that I am in reality quite prepared to put ketchup on anything I damn well please, up to and including Perigord’s truffles. (No, I won’t really put it on Perigord’s truffles, but I would if I thought I would like them that way.) Anyway, thank you for all the answers! I put ketchup on hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, meat loaf, and golabki. (And I like iceberg lettuce with Russian dressing. There, I said it!) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/50 "2016-03-01T19:27:37Z")
A little on meatloaf or burgers (with mayo and mustard). Unless the meatloaf is cold and in a sandwich; then it’s mayo and mustard only. I mix it with sriracha and use it as a dip for a grilled cheese sandwich. Absolutely hate it on fries or dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/51 "2016-03-01T19:33:20Z")
One thing I see here in Panama that I’ve never seen anywhere else is ketchup on chow mien. It’s so standard that when you get take-out they throw a few packets of ketchup in the bag along with the soy sauce. Now that one seems pretty weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/52 "2016-03-01T19:38:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > One thing I see here in Panama that I’ve never seen anywhere else is ketchup on chow mien. It’s so standard that when you get take-out they throw a few packets of ketchup in the bag along with the soy sauce. Now that one seems pretty weird to me. Yeah…that doesn’t sound tasty at all. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/53 "2016-03-01T20:07:46Z")
I put ketchup on hot dogs, hamburgers (well, either that or A-1 sauce for those) and french fries and tater tots without hesitation. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/54 "2016-03-01T20:31:08Z")
I’m hardly a snob (maybe replace the n with an L), but I’m mostly against using condiments in general, against me using them or putting them on anything I prepare by default, anyway. I like to taste the food, not the condiment, except cheap food, which is why I’m ok with ketchup on hotdogs (even the higher end hotdogs are just cheap food), but brats or fine sausage? The cheap, tasteless foods that typically require ketchup or ranch dressing are fine, but you can probably see where people take offense if they are trying to give you a different experience than the taste of ketchup. So, I get (silently)\* offended if somebody puts ketchup on a steak I prepare for them. Here I spent my time and effort to pick a good steak, marinade it, prepare a rub or marinade, pick some toppings, and out comes the ketchup; to me it’s equivalent to saying “I don’t trust your cooking, I know it’s bad before I try it, and I’d rather taste this cheap, sugar goo over your attempt at fine cooking.” That said, I don’t care what people with their own food, it just annoys me when I’m cooking for them and they whip out their ketchup or ranch dressing. - silently, but they would not get another invite unless they are family or something ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/55 "2016-03-01T20:54:43Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > French fries. Yes. And if there’s nothing like A-1 or Thousand island, it’s Ok on burgers, with mustard. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/56 "2016-03-01T21:01:28Z")
Hot dogs are a casual food, usually, so why not? Certainly, if you dont give a rats ass what others think of you, put it on anything. Also if you dont give a rats ass what others think of you, dress like you want, including wearing underwear on your head and roadkill as slippers. Wire however you want, eschewing spelling, punctuation, and paragraphs. Fart freely. Hygiene is overrated. But to be honest, almost all of us care about what others think of us, so “put it on whatever you want” is not a good answer. Also, when dining at a friends, the cook may get her feelings hurt if you drown everything in ketchup, as \*\*Epimetheus \*\*mentioned. More or less, in casual settings, go ahead. As the settings get more formal, you use less and less condiments, except those specially provided with the food item. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/57 "2016-03-01T21:16:20Z")
Speaking of condiments, [Terry Ho’s Yum Yum sauce](http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Hos-Yum-Sauce-16/dp/B007R57JX2) is pretty good on a variety of foods. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/58 "2016-03-01T21:16:54Z")
My mom puts it on over-easy eggs. I tried it once and didn’t like it. But if that’s the way she likes it, it’s fine by me. I think it’s rather rude if people don’t at least try a food before smothering it with condiments though. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/59 "2016-03-01T21:24:41Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > I put ketchup on hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, meat loaf, and golabki. (And I like iceberg lettuce with Russian dressing. There, I said it!) Enjoy…! Now if you wanted come backs to give people who complain about your ketchup use (like "Yeah? Are you going to chew it for me too…?) that’s a different subject. 😃 ---
**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:** [March 1, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636/60 "2016-03-01T21:34:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Hot dogs are a casual food, usually, so why not? > > Certainly, if you dont give a rats ass what others think of you, put it on anything. Also if you dont give a rats ass what others think of you, dress like you want, including wearing underwear on your head and roadkill as slippers. Wire however you want, eschewing spelling, punctuation, and paragraphs. Fart freely. Hygiene is overrated. > > But to be honest, almost all of us care about what others think of us, so “put it on whatever you want” is not a good answer. Also, when dining at a friends, the cook may get her feelings hurt if you drown everything in ketchup, as \*\*Epimetheus \*\*mentioned. > > More or less, in casual settings, go ahead. As the settings get more formal, you use less and less condiments, except those specially provided with the food item. Putting ketchup on food does not come anywhere close to being as offensive as any of the other things you mentioned. If it bothers you, you need to get a life. Also, if a cook’s feelings are hurt when someone puts ketchup on their food, they can prevent that by not providing it. If I don’t see ketchup on the table, I won’t ask for it, at least if I’m a guest at someone’s home. If I’m in a restaurant, I’ll ask for the ketchup since I’m paying for my food. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-there-anything-were-allowed-to-put-ketchup-on/747636.md?page=4)