Marconi Hot Sport Peppers, 16 oz

Marconi Hot Sport Peppers are the small whole peppers, pickled in a tangy vinegar brine, that sit on top of a Chicago-style hot dog. Marconi is an Illinois company, and the sport pepper is a Chicago tradition: the last thing added to the dog after the mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle spear and celery salt.

They carry a definite kick, hotter than a pickled banana pepper, though the brine keeps the heat sharp and quick rather than lingering. You eat them whole, holding the stem, one or two per sandwich. The brine matters as much as the peppers. Cooks spoon it over Italian beef, stir it into giardiniera, splash it on a sausage roll or into a pot of braised greens.

Away from the hot dog stand they belong chopped into tuna or potato salad, laid on a deli sandwich or a slice of pizza, or dropped whole into a Bloody Mary next to the olives. Anyone cooking Chicago food at home keeps a jar going.