Tribune: Put Ketchup on Your Hot Dogs if You Want!

Ketchup is awful though. Maybe ketchup used to be better before the HFCS days, but as someone pointed out already it is way too sweet. I feel that a hot dog is somewhat sweet, the bread is of course a little sweet, the relish is sweet, how much more sweet do you need? Then you at the mustard and pickle to balance the sweet, you have some spice and then you have the nice tomato. Although I have to admit, I think I like diced tomato better than a wedge. I'll give you that the wedge looks better but the diced is so much easier to eat.

As much as I love pickles and juicy ripe tomato wedges, I agree they are unwieldy to eat. Diced tomato and thin-sliced pickle(s) would be easier. But somehow I manage to keep it mostly together.

I don't have as much trouble with the pickle spear because it's usually the same size as the hot dog.

As a New Yorker, I love the Chicago dog—it's superior to ours. However, Chicago pizza sucks and should be outlawed with heavy fines and prison time. ;)

Let's not go that far about the pizza...it's apples and oranges. Many a time I've had the hankering for NY pizza, nearly as many a time as I've wanted a deep dish (pleased no stuffed) or just your standard thin party cut. It all depends on what you're craving. I think maybe New Yorkers don't like the deep dish because there's really nothing remotely like it in NYC. I guess there's that square sicilian but still not that close. In Chicago we have many great thin crust pizza places, so having a thin pizza isn't totally out of the question. We can accept thin as also being pizza, therefore we can also accept NY pizza, which I understand is different from our thin crust but is still nonetheless thin.

"red nectar". that's hilarious. still, ketchup (catsup?) is gross.

I like Chicago-style dogs. I think with all of those ingredients ketchup/catsup does not work well. However, on a Venezuelan style dog it is very good. On a Buffalo-style dog the tomato-based salsa stuff is good.

Like any ingredient, it works where it works and does not where it does not.

The argument seems to be that since there's already tomato slices on the dog, there is no need to augment with ketchup.  But ketchup is a concentrated tomato flavor, and as such it would seem a better substitute than the weaker-flavored slices, which do offer more freshness but are often undetectable among the multitude of other toppings.  If you're going to add tomato to the mix, why not the concentrated sauce form? 

Also, the argument against ketchup on a New York dog seems more appropriate, though I've never come across such a discussion.  I actually prefer ketchup on Chicago style, but never on New York dogs.  To each, their own..

Because ketchup -- at least to me -- tastes more like corn syrup than tomatoes. I love tomatoes. But I don't like ketchup, it's too sweet to me and doesn't really taste tomatoey.

That said, if you want to put ketchup on your hot dog, go right ahead, but none on mine please.

Amen,
I wonder if some of these people put ketchup on their cheeseburgers too, and if their mommy's cut them up for them in small portions lest the choking..... 

Too each his own, but yuck..

To each his own, but...if people's taste buds respond in a certain positive way to a certain condiment, then they must be children.  Okay.

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'Chicago-style' is the only way to roll.... great article though! Check our our chicago style shirt! http://www.blackmariachicago.c...

I'm commenting before reading the article, but wanted to say it always seemed funny that there are "academic" reasons like acidity or sweetness against hot dogs when Chicago toppings include acid and sugar galore.

If you measured sodium, sugars, or acid content of any individual Chicago topping against a serving ketchup, ketchup would prevail as having the least of those things.

Sport peppers alone would probably prompt someone to offer breath mints to you before a meeting or close conversation.

Yet, the Chicago-style dog includes a whopping 7 ingredients...

You can't argue if someone likes what they like, but start trying to apply reasoning and logic and you can always tear that down if it's in fact irrational.

I'd even argue that if you need 7 strongly flavored condiments, you don't actually like hot dogs.

"I'd even argue that if you need 7 strongly flavored condiments, you don't actually like hot dogs."

This. A good hot dog could be eaten plain and still be delicious. Myself, I like my hot dogs plain with a thin line of ketchup on top (not overdoing it).

If you want a salad, eat a salad. I want meat on a bun.

BUT, I do have to question whoever ordered the corn dog in the photo attached to this story. You have to be like nine years old to order a corn dog.

I love a good corndog, with mustard of course.

then you're an idiot, the corn dogs are hot doug's are phenomenal

Corn dogs are gooood. Hate on them all you want, but they taste delicious.

what isn't so clear in that photograph is that that's a chicago gluttons moment. those kids'll eat anything and everything.

worse than people who put ketchup on hot dogs are people who wait 45 minutes outside hot doug's and then only order a regular ass hot dog.

The concept of an "ass hot dog," regular or otherwise, makes me glad I never go to Hot Doug's.