Ketchup on Fries: Drizzle or Dip?

Fries are an American specialty and one of the most common side dishes across the country. Something so simple yet delicious and can be adjusted to go with everything. Ketchup has been labeled as THE condiment for fries. Ketchup with fries is as expected as the sun rising in the morning. Ketchup makes sense, though. It is a nice tangy chilled sauce to go with your warm fries and a pinch of salt (or, if you are like me, a lot of salt). Let’s analyze the process, though. You sit down with a nice serving of warm fries. You grab the bottle/packet, and then what? How do you apply the ketchup (or another condiment)? Do you put the ketchup on the side and dip fries into it, or do you put the ketchup directly on the fries with a nice drizzle? While it may seem like a trivial question, you would be surprised at the response depending on what course of action you choose. 

Dipping is seemingly the most popular of the options. People who dip their fries, AKA “Dippers,” argue that you are in control with each fry by dipping. Dippers have the luxury to change the amount of ketchup on each fry by either scooping more ketchup or by clinging (dipping a fry in a spear-like fashion and pulling out with the same direction) to avoid excess ketchup and getting a nice thin layer coating the fry. Dippers also seem to be the most passionate when it comes to their form of ketchup application. When told that someone preferred putting the ketchup directly on the fries, a colleague exclaimed, “What are they, a psycho?” This response I found was not uncommon, but much of the other group’s distaste comes from the idea that you can’t make any changes once the ketchup is added. If you have completely covered fries, you have to deal with trying to pick up the fry and get your hand dirty. If the fries were in a pile, there would be bare fries by the time you get to the bottom. Most of the argument comes from the control or cleanliness aspect. 

People who cover the fries with ketchup, AKA “Drizzlers,” base their decision on multiple aspects of the process. They argue that there is a more sporadic spread by drizzling, which makes eating the fries that much more fun. Drizzlers even compare the idea to a game, “It’s like Jenga.” It seems that when it comes to drizzling, it is more about the experience. One Drizzler even said, “I don’t really care which way they are when I am eating them but by drizzling the ketchup you get better picture opportunities.” 

I am a Dipper, I respect the fun nature of a Drizzler, but it is just too chaotic for me.

What side are you on? Leave a comment down below! 

Note: Stories like this and the pizza cutting debate (see my previous story) have been amusing to write and led to fun little debates at school, work, and with friends. If you would like to see more stories like these and possibly even making a new segment where we discuss different ways to eat the foods we love, please leave a comment below!