Ketchup is GOATed. Very well-balanced flavor wise, it contains elements of sweet, salty, sour, and savory. This is what makes it so popular and why it pairs so well with so many foods.

Of course, there are varieties and brands that are made with substandard ingredients such as HFCS. But this is an exception and not the rule; I recommend something like Simply Heinz which is made with cane sugar and has a much less cloyingly sweet flavor. There are also fancier brands if you like, but honestly I think Heinz is the gold standard.

As a Chicagoan you also won’t catch me putting it on a Chicago-style hot dog, since that has a delicate balance of flavors that is thrown off and overshadowed by the ketchup. But I’m not gonna throw a fit over anyone who does, and I will most definitely throw some ketchup and mustard on a dog that has not been dragged through the garden.