Chicago-style Hot Dogs

This passage describes a special way some people in Chicago eat their hot dogs.

Lexile Level: 1010L

Categories: People & Places

What do you put on your hot dog? A dab of mustard? Onion? Maybe some relish? How about ketchup? If you lived in Chicago or one of its suburbs, chances are you'd never consider adding that last condiment. No ordinary hot dog, the Chicago-style dog is a unique culinary tradition that originated at a Chicago hot dog stand in 1929. The Chicago-style hot dog starts with an all-beef, natural casing hot dog that is either steamed or boiled. It is served on a poppy seed bun and then topped with an unusual variety of condiments. The true Chicago-style hot dog includes onion, mustard, sweet pickle relish, slices of tomato and cucumber, chili peppers, and a dill pickle spear. It's then topped off with a sprinkle of celery salt. Never, ever, does it include ketchup. According to a Chicago newspaper columnist, to do so would be "disgusting and perverted," and anyone who did "would be shaming themselves and their loved ones."