Martha Stewart sparks hot dog debate by defending condiment that others 'cannot abide'

A lifestyle and culinary icon recently took a firm position on the age-old debate of whether ketchup belongs on hot dogs or not.

Martha Stewart, founder of Martha Stewart Living, expressed her opinion in an Instagram reel on June 17.

"I love hot dogs with the works," Stewart said in the video.

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She added, "It has to have bacon, mustard, ketchup, relish, sauerkraut."

Her endorsement of ketchup on hot dogs polarized some of her fans — especially those in the Windy City.

"I love Martha, but ketchup on a hot dog is f---ing diabolical," one user wrote.

"As a Chicagoan, I cannot abide the ketchup on a hot dog," another chimed in. "That'll get you thrown right out of that town faster than disliking deep dish pizza."

But others appreciated Stewart's vision and spoke out in favor of condiment-packed hot dogs.

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"Martha knows what she's talking about," a ketchup enthusiast wrote.

"Me too, Martha," another said.

Stewart took the pro-ketchup stance after sharing her Chicago-style hot dog recipe earlier in June, writing that "there's really only one steadfast rule – no ketchup." Her comment referred only to Chicago-style hot dogs, though. 

Still, some of her fans thought she was in their anti-ketchup camp.

One admirer wrote, "Absolutely NO ketchup – love you, Martha!" 

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Another chimed in, "Yes, queenie, no ketchup."

One brave commenter came out in support of ketchup on hot dogs – and was promptly shut down.

"Ketchup is a MUST," the ketchup fan wrote.

"Not in Chitown," an Instagram user wrote.

"Not in Chicago," another repeated.

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So why is ketchup considered such a controversial addition to hot dogs?

Chris Christou, owner of Poochie's Hot Dogs in Chicago, told Fox News Digital his rationale behind skipping ketchup.

Christou said the tomato-based condiment's flavor is too overpowering for a Chicago-style hot dog.

"I always felt like ketchup, because of its sweetness, overpowered the rest of the condiments," the restaurateur said.

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"Especially the yellow mustard and dill pickle."

But some devil's advocates continue to support the sweet-and-sour condiment.

New Jersey-based dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade told Fox News Digital she encourages incorporating ketchup into more meals.

"You need ketchup on your hot dog," she said, sharing her insights as "a registered dietitian and mom of three," she added. 

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"Not only does it enhance the flavor, but adding ketchup offers some real health benefits."

The dietitian said ketchup contains high amounts of lycopene, which has cancer-fighting properties.

"[These] benefits [are] thanks to its high content of lycopene, which is more bioavailable in ketchup versus raw tomatoes due to the cooking process involved in making ketchup."

Palinski-Wade added, "Studies link higher dietary intake of lycopene from tomatoes and ketchup with a reduced risk of stomach and prostate cancer, thanks to lycopene's antioxidant and anticancer properties."

Fox News Digital reached out to Stewart for comment.