You're Dressing Hot Dogs All Wrong, According To The National Hot Dog Council

Surely there's no perfectly correct way to apply condiments to hot dogs: After all, taste is subjective, and some people like mustard, while others like ketchup, and that's okay, right? Not if you ask the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, a real organization that exists to promote the hot dog industry. Its "Hot Dog Etiquette" rules spell out the exact way that hot dogs should be dressed.

Let's start with the correct order for dressings, which is perhaps less controversial: The Council pronounces that "wets" like mustard should be applied first, followed by chunky items like onion or sauerkraut, then dry items like cheese, and finally, seasonings like pepper or celery salt. 

You can see some logic: the wet sauces can counter any potentially dry meat, and they also supply a sticky surface that the chunky items can stick on to and not fall off when you pick up the dog. Cheese can then fit into the gaps between chunky bits, although those who want their cheese to melt might disapprove of this order. The seasoning on top fits with the general idea of seasoning a dish as the last thing before you serve it. The Council also has instructions for the placement: In its words, you want to "dress the dog, not the bun." This basically means that you put the hot dog in the bun first, then add the dressings — don't put them straight onto the bun, where sauces like mustard would get soaked up.

America may be the land of the free, but — at least according to the Hot Dog Council — this doesn't mean you can put anything on a hot dog. The Council reserves its ire specifically for ketchup, which it deems acceptable only for those aged under 18. Onion, cheese, relish, mustard, and chili are all fine, but the Council doesn't dive into more finicky questions like whether bean-heavy vegetarian chili would be okay, or if other unconventional toppings are acceptable.

The Hot Dog Council has elaborated on its ketchup ban, noting that the condiment is too sweet and therefore not a good pairing, suggesting it's for those with childlike tastes. Perhaps the author of the Council's guidelines hails from Chicago, where the no-ketchup-on-hot-dogs sentiment is strong. But it's worth noting that there's a historical reason for that "ban": Early in the 20th century, ketchup was used to mask the taste of low-grade meat, while dressings like mustard apparently complement the meat. In any case, Chicagoans and the Hot Dog Council may be wrong, as a survey has suggested a majority of Americans are partial to ketchup on hot dogs.

The Council has a few other pointers about hot dog preparation: Don't use fancy buns with, say, sun-dried tomatoes; keep to simple classics like plain, sesame, or poppy seed. You also shouldn't put fresh herbs on the same plate as a dog (presumably as a garnish), as this is pretentious. Finally — and this one does seem sensible — never, ever eat the hot dog with cutlery: Hands only.