« Food & Drinks

Ketchup on a Hot Dog: Yea or Nay.

by Jeff Flynt

It's a debate that's raged on for many eons. It's like the Hatfield’s v. McCoy’s of the tubed meat world.

Is it okay (as an adult) to put ketchup on a hot dog?

The vitriol on both sides of the debate is deeper than the vats of the sweet, tangy red sauce at a Heinz facility.

The Huffington Post took this issue up last year solely based on the comments generated from a blog post and video taking up the topic.

Exactly what IS wrong with slapping ketchup (don't get me started on the difference between ketchup and catsup) on a frankfurter lodged inside a bun?

In Chicago, they put everything that isn't tied down on a dog. That includes a tomato, which is one of the major ingredients of ketchup.

There are many incarnations of chili dogs. Some chili recipes include ketchup in the ingredient list, as is chocolate. Now I ask you, would you cringe if the person standing next to you in line at the ballpark asked about where the Hershey's was?

Or any of these concoctions?

But here's the thing, we're all adults here. While sweet and salty combinations are an important thing, one food pairing that doesn't fall into that category is hot dogs and ketchup.

Did you know that ketchup can smother (in a bad way) the flavor of a good, quality hot dog?

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, it's even listed as bad etiquette to put that stuff on your dog.

Hot dogs, in my opinion, are made for condiments like mustard, onions (grilled or raw), sauerkraut and relish. There are so many different combinations involving flavors of mustard, that it's impossible not to find one that fits your palate.

As much as I understand that you can't tell a customer or food-lover what they can and can't eat (free will people), I would have to remain behind the nay crowd.

I'm not a hater, and would never call out a ketchup user in public for embarrassment purposes. But know that I would never, under any circumstances, put ketchup on my frank. 

(Photo by: Photograph © Andrew Dunn, 8 September 2004/Wikimedia Commons).