# What condiments/sauces do you use on fish and chips? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 28, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632 "2020-11-28T00:39:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/1 "2020-11-28T00:39:39Z")
You’re having fish and chips, what do you use? For me, it’s malt vinegar only and I douse both the fish and the chips in it. I’ve never tried curry sauce and I’m not a huge fan of tartar sauce. Ketchup doesn’t work on the chips for fish and chips for me. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/2 "2020-11-28T00:43:52Z")
Fish and chips? Malt vinegar. French fries, depending on the recipe, either plain or ketchup if not part of a fish meal. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/3 "2020-11-28T00:49:31Z")
Tartar sauce is the reason for fish and chips. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/4 "2020-11-28T00:50:00Z")
Me too. I don’t get the vinegar thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/5 "2020-11-28T00:50:17Z")
Tartar sauce alone ~75% of the time, malt vinegar alone ~10% of the time, both ~15% of the time. Childhood indoctrination with the old McDonald’s Filet 'o Fish hooked me on tartar sauce. My first experience with fish and chips was [H. Salt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._Salt_Esquire) which introduced me to malt vinegar. But it never fully supplanted tartar sauce in my fishy heart, even now when I eat fancier versions. I also like tartar sauce on the chips. Though ketchup and malt makes an appearance here as well. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/6 "2020-11-28T00:51:06Z")
For me, tartar sauce on the fish and ketchup on the chips. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/7 "2020-11-28T00:51:09Z")
I never liked tarter sauce. I discovered vinegar on fish and chips late in life, and do like it. I also like cocktail sauce on the fish. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/8 "2020-11-28T00:51:46Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Me too. I don’t get the vinegar thing. - Malt vinegar is both sweeter and less “vinegary”. It’s nothing like the stuff you clean the coffee machine with. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/9 "2020-11-28T00:52:09Z")
Ketchup. On both. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/10 "2020-11-28T00:52:23Z")
Some combo, depending on each bite, of ketchup, tartar, malt vinegar, salt. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/11 "2020-11-28T00:58:43Z")
Salt and vinegar, if available. If not, then ketchup for the chips but eating the fish plain. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/12 "2020-11-28T00:59:52Z")
Tartar sauce, usually, but sometimes cocktail sauce. Vinegar is okay, but it’s hard to measure it just right. Too much, and the fish gets soggy. Also salt, but I’m a salt vampire and put it on everything. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/13 "2020-11-28T01:01:46Z")
Malt vinegar on both, tartar sauce on the fish and ketchup on the chips. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/14 "2020-11-28T01:05:07Z")
Malt Vinegar on both. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/15 "2020-11-28T01:17:19Z")
I’m well aware of what it is, just doesn’t do anything for me. Also, as @Trinopus noted, a little too much and you have a soggy mess. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/16 "2020-11-28T01:24:18Z")
Tartar sauce for the fish, Stonewall red pepper relish for the fries, which are usually waffle fries. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/17 "2020-11-28T01:28:30Z")
Lemon on the fish, ketchup on both. Ixnay on the artarsaucetay and vinegar. I’ve never heard of curry sauce on it but I’d be open to try that especially if it wasn’t a light brown variety which would look too similar color-wise to look appetizing. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/18 "2020-11-28T01:32:33Z")
Tartar on both, malt vinegar on the fries. Rather than drizzling it on, I like to break the fries in half and dip the open end into a tub of the vinegar so that it absorbs through the inside of the potato. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/19 "2020-11-28T01:47:14Z")
Aioli or mayonnaise, with a squirt of lemon juice, sriracha or chipotle added, according to whim. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/20 "2020-11-28T01:55:01Z")
For fish and fried clams, it’s mainly tartar sauce (sometimes cocktail sauce for clams, or for shrimp). Fish and horseradish also make a good combo. Vinegar, blurgh. Fine as part of salad dressing or to clean out the coffee machine though. \*ketchup goes with fries. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632.md?page=2)