Don't Even Think About Putting Ketchup On A Hot Dog

Americans love their hot dogs, eating about 7 billion from Memorial Day to Labor Day, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. And Hulu’s hit show “The Bear” has not only sparked a great thirst for handsome line cooks, but it has also reignited a great debate over which condiments are acceptable on a hot dog.

Take, for instance, the following conversation from Episode 4:

It turns out Carmy isn’t the only Chicagoan who thinks that way.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has identified 18 regional-style hot dogs across the United States, but there are likely way more. In New York, hot dogs are eaten with mustard and steamed onions. From Arizona through California, the Sonora hot dog is wrapped in bacon and topped with pinto beans, jalapeños, spicy grilled peppers and crema.

But in Chicago, where “The Bear” is based and hot dogs are legendary, the idea of putting ketchup on a hot dog can be controversial.

The classic Chicago hot dog has mustard, neon-green relish, raw onions, a full pickle spear, tomatoes, a little bit of celery salt and a poppy seed bun; sport peppers are optional. Historians link the Chicago version to the Depression, when people could get a full meal from a hot dog and toppings.

But don’t even consider putting ketchup on it, at least according to certain Chicagoans. Even President Barack Obama, a longtime Chicago resident, said several years ago on CNN that “it’s not acceptable past the age of 8.”

Some Chicagoland hot dog stands pride themselves on not serving ketchup, such as Gene and Jude’s in River Grove, just outside the city.

Other Chicagoans take a more live and let live approach. Bill Savage, a professor at Northwestern University and a Chicago historian, said the whole