In a divisive 2024 election cycle, one of the most sizzling conversations many people will find themselves in this week is: Mustard, relish, or ketchup? Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), a self-proclaimed "hot dog lover," goes for mustard and relish. But Rep.
Cory Mills (R-FL) goes for a simple mustard and ketchup combination (but the brand must be Ballpark). What someone puts on their hot dogs is a decision that divides people every Fourth of July, and hot dog preferences will vary from region to region. There's the Chicago-style hot dog, the Korean hot dog, and the Coney Island hot dog, all of which have drastically different flavor profiles.
A Chicago-style hot dog is topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. The style is a favorite of Midwest states like Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin while also traveling west to Oregon and Montana and east to Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
A Korean hot dog has cheese, rice cakes, or fish cakes fried in batter on a stick and adorned with sugar, ketchup, mustard, and/or mayo and is favored by Western and Southern states like Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Louisiana. Coney Island hot dogs are topped with a beef heart-based sauce, one or two stripes of yellow mustard, diced or chopped onions, and sometimes cheese, which is enjoyed by Florida and Massachusetts, but varieties of this timeless option exist througho.