It’s a (culinary) crime against humanity. Like putting cheese on seafood pasta, dunking sushi rice in soy/wasabi sludge, well done grilled anything, ketchup/tomato-based sauce on BBQ, ice in fine whisky, blueberry bagels, ketchup or mayo (or both) on a pastrami sandwich, and so on. In addition to being a serious crime, also an irrefutable indication of serious character flaw. The only legal use for ketchup is with french fries for children under the age of 5.
While I personally have no use for ketchup, I honestly don’t give a hoot what condiment people put on their hot dogs. I do, however, object to cutesy terms like “sammy” and “sando,” so I can’t really claim to be open and accepting in the sandwich department.
Uh, notice that these “rules” contain no endorsement of putting salad on hot dogs as Chicagoans do. Plus, why would the rest of the world accept, as gospel, the opinion of those that consider this pizza :
The no ketchup rule is one of the silliest, and least supported food edicts out there. I wonder what percentage of the hot dogs consumed are actually consumed without ketchup. I’d guess that with ketchup is aboveboard 50%. It’s understandable that some don’t like it. If I had an either/or choice, I’d choose mustard. But that’s rarely the case, so I use both as a lot of people do. But I’m from Pittsburgh, so a complete disdain for ketchup is sacrilege.
A hot dog is akin to a sandwich. A steak isn’t. A dog is much closer to a burger. Do you think it’s absurd to put ketchup on a burger? But using your logic, would YOU pile tomatoes, a pickle, and (Gag!) sweet pickle relish on a steak? Seriously, if there were an accurate all-encompassing American poll, I wonder whether the winner would be a Chicago dog, or the same dog with mustard and ketchup? If I’m in Chicago, I go Italian beef.
Btw, I use whatever ketchup is available when out, but at home we use Heinz No Sugar Added.
The only thing that’s worse than ketchup on a hot dog is mayo on pastrami, with a double whammy when you put it on white bread. I actually have no idea how mayo would taste on pastrami, and I hope I never do.