# What do I replace ketchup with for french fries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458 "2005-08-17T18:09:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/21 "2005-08-17T19:06:07Z")
> [@Flutterby](#): > > ranch dressing! > > Yummy **Jalapeno** ranch dressing. [Where to get the good stuff](http://www.chuys.com/) Good for what ails you. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/22 "2005-08-17T19:08:12Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > I just eat 'em with salt. Why screw up a perfectly tasteless salt-delivery vehicle like a fried potato with some sort of sauce? > > –Cliffy Same could be said for tortilla chips but I bet you dip them in salsa anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/23 "2005-08-17T19:15:25Z")
Honey mustard, the creamy kind. Trust me. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/24 "2005-08-17T19:23:17Z")
Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning over them. From then on, you will refer to events in your life as “Pre Old Bay” and “Post Old Bay.” ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/25 "2005-08-17T19:25:40Z")
Sweet chili sauce (a red transluscent sauce with dried chili flakes floating in it). Yes, it’s sweet, but it’s also nice and hot so it’s perfectly well-balanced. In fact, I don’t think there’s anything that ISN’T improved by sweet chili sauce. Or mustard. I always like mustard on my fries. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/26 "2005-08-17T19:31:04Z")
Sour cream. Or, you could just do what I do and eat sour cream with a spoon. ---
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/27 "2005-08-17T19:33:08Z")
I’m with Hyno-Toad – Old Bay’s. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/28 "2005-08-17T19:34:54Z")
Garlic fries. Mince equal parts of raw garlic and Italian parsley together. When the fries are right out of the fryer, sprinkle this mixture on them, together with salt. The smoking hot fries will slightly cook the garlic, which will tone down the raw flavor. Heavenly! I also like the Dijon mustard option, particularly when you serve the fries with a steak. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/29 "2005-08-17T19:35:17Z")
I love hot sauces on fries. Sometimes I mix ketchup and the hot sauce, sometimes just the hot sause. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/30 "2005-08-17T19:35:22Z")
Me, I like my fries with lots of fresh ground black pepper and [Cholula](http://www.cholula.com/) (a distant cousin of Tabasco sauce but with much, much better flavor). ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/31 "2005-08-17T19:37:43Z")
[Sriracha](http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm), as mentioned by **Big Bad Voodoo Lou** , is another favorite of mine. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/32 "2005-08-17T19:52:11Z")
Malt vinegar is the perfect condiment for fries, of course. Tabasco is nice, too (got the acidic kick of vinegar and spice of chiles.) Lime & powdered chiles (such as cayenne) works too. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/33 "2005-08-17T20:00:31Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > a distant cousin of Tabasco sauce but with much, much better flavor [Try this](http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_tent/pepper_sauce/chipotle_pepper_sauce.cfm) then. Warning, it is highly addictive. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/34 "2005-08-17T20:12:56Z")
Limiting myself to ketchup has obviously been a gustatory mistake. Things I like with fries already - malt vinegar and Wendy’s malted. Things to try - everything else. What is Old Bay’s? (Homemade mayo, eh? That’s just crazy enough to work!) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/35 "2005-08-17T20:16:06Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Limiting myself to ketchup has obviously been a gustatory mistake. Things I like with fries already - malt vinegar and Wendy’s malted. Things to try - everything else. > > What is Old Bay’s? > > (Homemade mayo, eh? That’s just crazy enough to work!) Old Bay’s is a seafood seasoning, particularly popular in Baltimore, where it’s used often in crab cakes and fried chicken. You should be able to find it in the spice section of your grocery. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/36 "2005-08-17T20:17:48Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > What is Old Bay’s? A spice mixture. It’s in the spice aisle and is in a yellow bottle or tin. It’s good, because unlike most premade spice mixtures, it doesn’t overload itself with salt. Meaning you can put a lot on, to make something spicey, and not have it be too salty. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/37 "2005-08-17T20:19:05Z")
[I was curious about the aforementioned Old Bay too…](http://www.marylanddelivered.com/oldbay.htm) ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/38 "2005-08-17T20:25:30Z")
\ Years ago, when I was pregnant with my first son, my (now ex-)husband and I went to McDonalds. We ordered the standard type burger/fries/drink meal, and I reminded him to get me some ranch dressing. He dutifully repeated my request to the person-in-the-speaker. \ PITS: Uh, excuse me, sir… Did you say you wanted… \ ranch dressing? Him: Yes. PITS: \ Oook. Him: She’s pregnant. PITS: Ohhhhhhhh! I was so annoyed. I like ranch dressing on my fries all the time - pregnant or not, and I know (and am vindicated by this thread) that I am not the only person who does. It’s not like I asked for minced puppy or anything. Sheesh. \ ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/39 "2005-08-17T20:36:00Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > I was so annoyed. I like ranch dressing on my fries all the time - pregnant or not, and I know (and am vindicated by this thread) that I am not the only person who does. It’s not like I asked for minced puppy or anything. Sheesh. [Barth] What do you think’s IN THE BURGER? [/Barth] ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458/40 "2005-08-17T20:49:02Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > [Barth] What do you think’s IN THE BURGER? [/Barth] I don’t know. _looks up_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-replace-ketchup-with-for-french-fries/317458.md?page=3)