Hot Dog Etiquette

“Chicagoans, reknowned for our worship of the all beef frankfurter, understand that ketchup is popular with children because they like sweet stuff, so they don’t argue with kids who order it on their franks. But if you are over 18, never, ever, no how, no way, allow ketchup nowhere near a proper hot dog in Chicago. Fogeddaboudit.

“Apparently no less an authority than National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, the official trade association based in Washington, DC, agrees. It has codified the rule in their paper on “Hot Dog Etiquette and everyday guidance for eating America’s sacred food”. There it is in black and white “Don’t use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18.” In their video (below) they add “We all have to grow up sometime”.

“In Chicago, if you want ketchup on your dog, they’ll point you to the bottles used for garnishing French fries and tell you to “go rune it yourself.”

“It is such a Chicago shibboleth that when Bob Schwartz, a VP of Vienna Beef, the leading Chicago wiener supplier, wrote a book, he titled it “Never Put Ketchup On A Hot Dog”. He calls ketchup an “affliction”.

“Another famous Chicagoan, President Barack Obama, made it official with a proclamation on June 3, 2011 while visiting one of the Rudy’s Hot Dog stands in Toledo, OH. Obama and the mayor stopped in for a chili dog, but apparently the subject of ketchup came up. “You shouldn’t put ketchup on your hot dog,” your President said.

“So there you have it. Big government once again interfering on our right to choose.”