# Why salt, and no ketchup. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443 "2005-07-14T01:28:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/41 "2005-07-16T17:19:35Z")
Is Uncle Frank’s still around in Chicago? Anyway - Fries are best when served as part of the combo _Moulles et frites_… simply devine. Of course, catsup has no place within a mile of this ambrosia. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/42 "2005-07-16T17:44:41Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > In-N-Out fries are bad, m’kay? I can’t abide soggy fries. Then- order the fries 'well done". No really- I&O has quite a few option that they don’t put on the (very small) menu. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/43 "2005-07-16T17:46:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Then- order the fries 'well done". No really- I&O has quite a few option that they don’t put on the (very small) menu. Tried that before. Still not as good as Fatburger. ---
**Author:** ![Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meaty_Beaty_Big_and_Bouncy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/44 "2005-07-16T17:59:15Z")
Steak & Shake. Best. Fries. Ever. Oh, and ketchup? Just say no. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/45 "2005-07-16T18:01:07Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Back in the early 90’s, the price of a single catsup packet a McD’s in West Germany was 15 pfennigs, the same as for packets of mayonaise. I’d paid for both, as mayo on fries (even pre-Pulp Fiction) is simply delicious. > > Typically, I’m sick and tired of American fries anywhere in general. But man, those independant places in Germany that deep fried their fries in tallow – I could go for some of those right now! And instead of mayo or catsup, a little bit of the curry sauce that they used… If you’re in California, In and Out Burger still fries thier fries in Tallow, or so I’m told. Damn it, now I want fries! ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/46 "2005-07-16T19:29:42Z")
> [@hazel-rah](#): > > Frite Alors serves Belgian-style frites… they’re fried in horse fat, not peanut oil. Really? I have never heard that before and it doesn’t sound very tasty to me. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/47 "2005-07-16T19:57:58Z")
> [@hazel-rah](#): > > Frite Alors serves Belgian-style frites… they’re fried in horse fat, not peanut oil. Yeah, this seems strange to me too. I know horse meat as human food is relatively common in certain parts of Europe. But getting horse products for human food seems difficult on this side of the pond. Maybe the Frite Alors in Belgium still use horse fat, but the one in Montreal has to use peanut? Anyone got a source? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/48 "2005-07-16T22:20:27Z")
> [@Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy](#): > > Oh, and ketchup? > > Just say no. Except for hot dogs. What? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/49 "2005-07-16T23:54:10Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Except for hot dogs. > What? You are dead to me. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/50 "2005-07-17T00:01:14Z")
Ketchup is the Devil’s nosebleed. ---
**Author:** ![Hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@Hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hombre)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/51 "2005-07-17T01:20:45Z")
Salt, No Ketchup I think so… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/52 "2005-07-17T02:15:47Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > You are dead to me. [Darth Vader]Noooooooooooooooooooo…[/DV] ---
**Author:** ![BoringDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@BoringDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoringDad)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/53 "2005-07-17T15:49:45Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > Ketchup is the Devil’s nosebleed. You say that as if it is a bad thing? Fancy franks get brown mustard. Ball park hot dogs get ketchup. Yellow mustard is associated with the Devil’s more unmentionable bodily functions. And not mentioned so far this thread… Coated fries (as at Burger King) are an abomination. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/54 "2005-07-17T23:01:40Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > 1. The British also eat fries with curry sauce. This can be purchased as a just-add-water powder in England, but can be found in Canada if you look hard enough. Who do I have to bribe to get me some o’ dat? ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/55 "2005-07-20T12:47:49Z")
> [@BoringDad](#): > > You say that as if it is a bad thing? > Fancy franks get brown mustard. > Ball park hot dogs get ketchup. > > Yellow mustard is associated with the Devil’s more unmentionable bodily functions. > > And not mentioned so far this thread… Coated fries (as at Burger King) are an abomination. I agree about the ketchup\* and yellow mustard. But what are BK fries coated with? \*Except for the so-called “banana ketchup” you can get in some Asian markets, but that’s only for dipping grilled cheese sandwiches. Get the hot variety. And ball-park dogs are demonic too. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/56 "2005-07-20T14:33:51Z")
A proper french fry doesn’t need catsup. Your insulting the great fast food cooks everywhere. Isn’t the grease and sodium enough? Mayo? Americans need mayo on their french fries like \. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/57 "2005-07-20T15:25:23Z")
JSGoddess- No bribes needed. As you’re in Ohio, just head to Jungle Jim’s ([http://www.junglejims.com/](http://www.junglejims.com/)) in Cincinnati. They have all your international foods. If I remember correctly, the Heinz curry sauce is near the far back corner of the store under the large tree with Robin Hood in it (AKA in the British Foods section). If you need other curry products, the India Foods section is not far from there. I always like going there because it’s like a trip overseas without the inconvenience of flying… > [@jsgoddess](#): > > Who do I have to bribe to get me some o’ dat? ---
**Author:** ![Ragiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ragiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ragiel)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/58 "2005-07-20T16:22:54Z")
> [@BoringDad](#): > > You say that as if it is a bad thing? > Fancy franks get brown mustard. > Ball park hot dogs get ketchup. > > Yellow mustard is associated with the Devil’s more unmentionable bodily functions. > > And not mentioned so far this thread… Coated fries (as at Burger King) are an abomination. McDonald’s in my neighborhood switched to coated fries sometime last year. ☹ And Steak & Shake is too far away to run to on foot. ☹ What’s more, all the local Wendy’s, in keeping with their “never precooked” practice, serve burgers that taste as if they had been sitting open in the refrigerator for days. Not quite rancid. ☹ It’s enough to drive one to healthier eating. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/59 "2005-07-20T21:54:47Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > I agree about the ketchup\* and yellow mustard. But what are BK fries coated with? I vaguely recall, from the introduction of the new fries several years ago, that they have some kind of flavoring on the outside that’s also supposed to hold the heat in. I have nothing against “coated” fries. The ones at BK taste fine to me, and proper curly fries (as seen at Arby’s or Jack in the Box) are _always_ covered with something. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443/60 "2005-07-21T03:48:53Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > I vaguely recall, from the introduction of the new fries several years ago, that they have some kind of flavoring on the outside that’s also supposed to hold the heat in. The BK ones suck IMHO. The coating is some type of starch thing that’s supposed to keep the fries from getting soggy too quick, so that they don’t have to throw them away so fast (slow times). Luckily they wised up and let you substitute onion rings for the same price if you don’t like their crappy fries. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-salt-and-no-ketchup/312443.md?page=4)