Barack Obama Has A Strong Yet Controversial Opinion About This Popular Condiment

From eating bun cha in Hanoi, Vietnam on an episode of Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" to his hobby of brewing beer inside of the White House, former President Barack Obama has always been a foodie at heart. But, while we do know a lot about the things he likes to eat — like potatoes, eggs, and toast for breakfast and apple pie for dessert — we don't know as much about the things he doesn't. So when he expressed a strong opinion about a certain popular condiment while appearing as a guest on Michelle Obama's "IMO" podcast last week, many were taken by surprise. His fellow Chicagoans, on the other hand, weren't so much.

If you know anything about authentic Chicago-style hot dogs and the condiments that do and don't go on one, you probably know where Obama's condiment take is heading — and, yes, it's got to do with ketchup. "In my opinion, and this is controversial in my family, you should not eat ketchup after the age of 8," he said. "I have nothing against kids having ketchup on their burgers, ketchup for their fries, even — which is hard for me to watch — ketchup on their hot dogs. But, at a certain point, you kind of out grow it," he explained further. However, it is worth noting that Michelle Obama, who was born and raised on the south side of Chicago herself, did not stand behind his opinion, nor do their two daughters.

Barack Obama lived in Chicago for over 20 years — it's the city where he began his career as a community organizer and, of course, met his wife and began his family. Once serving as president, the Obamas moved from their family home in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood to the White House and have since made Washington D.C. their primary home. Yet the Obamas and the city of Chicago remain forever linked — but, if anything solidifies his ties to the city, it's his despise of ketchup.

There's an unwritten rule in Chicago when it comes to ketchup — and specifically, ketchup on hot dogs. The two shall never touch, and there's actually significant history to back it up. During the Great Depression, the city's meat packers began using leftover beef cuttings to make hot dogs. Sold as street food for no more than a nickel, the hot dogs fed lots of people, but they weren't necessarily tasty. and it is said that people smothered them in ketchup to cover up the taste. 

In time, the city's diverse immigrant communities made the Chicago hot dog into what it is today. From the poppy seed bun to the fresh tomatoes and relish, Chicago hot dogs are unique because every ingredient represents one of them. The yellow mustard, and the inherent lack of ketchup, however, represent quality. Go to any Chicago stand today and you'll hear it — in fact, there are some chefs who, like Obama, will only tolerate it for kids.