A hot dog
(uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a
food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...
consisting of a
grilled
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...
or
steamed
Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking have ...
sausage
A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders.
...
served in the slit of a partially sliced
bun
A bun is a type of bread roll, typically filled with savory fillings (for example hamburger). A bun may also refer to a sweet cake in certain parts of the world. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, buns are most commonly round, and are g ...
.
The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener (
Vienna sausage
A Vienna sausage (german: Wiener Würstchen, Wiener; Viennese/Austrian German: ''Frankfurter Würstel'' or ''Würstl''; Swiss German: ''Wienerli''; Swabian: ''Wienerle'' or ''Saitenwurst'') is a thin parboiled sausage traditionally made of p ...
) or a frankfurter (
Frankfurter Würstchen
A ''Frankfurter Würstchen'' (Frankfurt sausage) is a thin parboiled sausage in a casing of sheep's intestine. The flavor is acquired by a method of low temperature smoking. For consumption, occasionally Frankfurters are not cooked; they are h ...
, also just called frank). The names of these sausages commonly refer to their assembled dish.
Some consider a hot dog to technically be a
sandwich
A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
. Hot dog preparation and condiments vary worldwide. Typical
condiments
A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separate ...
include mustard,
ketchup
Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and tangy flavor. The unmodified term ("ketchup") now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes used egg whites, mushrooms, oysters, grapes, mussels, or walnuts, among other ...
,
relish
A relish is a cooked and pickled product made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs and is a food item typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a pickled cucumber jam eaten with ho ...
, onions in tomato sauce, and cheese sauce. Common garnishes include sauerkraut, diced onions, jalapeños, chili, grated cheese, coleslaw, bacon, and olives.
Hot dog variants include the
corn dog
A corn dog (also spelled corndog) is a sausage (usually a hot dog) on a stick that has been coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter and deep fried. It originated in the United States and is commonly found in American cuisine.
History
Newly a ...
and
pigs in a blanket
Pigs in a blanket is a small hot dog or other sausage wrapped in pastry commonly served as an appetizer in the United States. The similarity in name with that of the UK dish pigs in blankets, which is a sausage wrapped in bacon, sometimes caus ...
. The hot dog's cultural traditions include the
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition. It is held each year on Independence Day (United States), July 4th at Nathan's Famous, Nathan's Famous Corporation's original, ...
and the
Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
These types of sausages were culturally imported from Germany and became popular in the United States. It became a
working-class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
in the U.S., sold at
stands and
carts
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people.
It is different from the flatbed tr ...
. The hot dog became closely associated with
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
and
American culture
The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western, and European origin, yet its influences includes the cultures of Asian American, African American, Latin American, and Native American peoples and their cultures. The U ...
. Although particularly connected with
New York City and its cuisine, the hot dog eventually became ubiquitous throughout the US during the 20th century. Its preparation varies regionally in the country, emerging as an important part of other regional cuisines, including
Chicago street cuisine.
History
The word ''frankfurter'' comes from
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, Germany, where pork sausages similar to hot dogs originated. These sausages, ''
Frankfurter Würstchen
A ''Frankfurter Würstchen'' (Frankfurt sausage) is a thin parboiled sausage in a casing of sheep's intestine. The flavor is acquired by a method of low temperature smoking. For consumption, occasionally Frankfurters are not cooked; they are h ...
'', were known since the 13th century and given to the people on the event of imperial coronations, starting with the coronation of
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II (31 July 1527 – 12 October 1576) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1564 until his death in 1576. A member of the Austrian House of Habsburg, he was crowned King of Bohemia in Prague on 14 May 1562 and elected King of Germany (King ...
, as King. "Wiener" refers to
Vienna, Austria
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
(german: Wien), home to a sausage made of a mixture of pork and beef. Johann Georg Lahner, an 18th/19th century butcher from the
Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
n city of Coburg, is said to have brought the ''Frankfurter Würstchen'' to Vienna, where he added beef to the mixture and simply called it ''Frankfurter''. Nowadays, in German-speaking countries, except Austria, hot dog sausages are called ''Wiener'' or ''
Wiener Würstchen
Wiener (from German: "Viennese") may refer to:
Food
* A Polish sausage (kielbasa) or "wenar"
* A Vienna sausage of German origin, named after the capital of Austria
* A hot dog, a cooked sausage, traditionally grilled or steamed and served in ...
'' (''Würstchen'' means "little sausage"), to differentiate them from the original pork-only mixture from
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. In
Swiss German
Swiss German (Standard German: , gsw, Schwiizerdütsch, Schwyzerdütsch, Schwiizertüütsch, Schwizertitsch Mundart,Because of the many different dialects, and because there is no defined orthography for any of them, many different spelling ...
, it is called ''Wienerli'', while in Austria the terms ''Frankfurter'' or ''Frankfurter Würstel'' are used.
![Frankfurter stand LOC det](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Frankfurter_stand_LOC_det.4a13502.jpg)
It is not definitively known who started the practice of serving the sausage in the bun. One of the strongest claims comes from
Harry M. Stevens Harry Mozley Stevens (14 June 1855 – 3 May 1934) was a food concessionaire from England who has been variously attributed as the inventor of the hot dog, but has nevertheless been credited with being America's foremost ballpark concessionaire. In ...
who was a food concessionaire. The claim is that, while working at the New York Polo Grounds in 1901, he came upon the idea of using small French rolls to hold the sausages when the waxed paper they were using ran out.
A German immigrant named Feuchtwanger, from
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, in
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...
, allegedly pioneered the practice in the American Midwest; there are several versions of the story with varying details. According to one account, Feuchtwanger's wife proposed the use of a bun in 1880: Feuchtwanger sold hot dogs on the streets of
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, and provided gloves to his customers so that they could handle the sausages without burning their hands. Losing money when customers did not return the gloves, Feuchtwanger's wife suggested serving the sausages in a roll instead. In another version, Antoine Feuchtwanger, or Anton Ludwig Feuchtwanger, served sausages in rolls at the World's Fair – either at the 1904
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...
in St. Louis, or, earlier, at the 1893
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordi ...
, in Chicago – again, allegedly because the white gloves provided to customers to protect their hands were being kept as souvenirs.
Another possible origin for serving the sausages in rolls is the pieman
Charles Feltman
__FORCETOC__
Charles Feltman (1841–1910) was a German-American restaurateur. He is one of several claimed inventors of the hot dog.
From pushcart to restaurant mogul
Feltman was born in 1841 in Germany and emigrated to America in 1856, at the ag ...
, at
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...
in New York City. In 1867 he had a cart made with a stove on which to boil sausages, and a compartment to keep buns in which they were served fresh. In 1871 he leased land to build a permanent restaurant, and the business grew, selling far more than just the "Coney Island Red Hots" as they were known.
Etymology
The term ''dog'' has been used as a synonym for sausage since the 1800s, possibly from accusations that sausage makers used
dog meat
Dog meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world. During the 19th century westward movement in the United States, ''mountainmen'', native ...
in their sausages.
In Germany the consumption of dog meat was common in Saxony, Silesia, Anhalt, and Bavaria during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The suspicion that sausages contained dog meat was "occasionally justified".
An early use of the term ''hot dog'' in reference to the sausage-meat appears in the ''Evansville'' (Indiana) ''Daily Courier'' (September 14, 1884):
even the innocent 'wienerworst' man will be barred from dispensing hot dog on the street corner.
It was used to mean a sausage in casing in the ''Paterson'' (New Jersey) ''Daily Press'' (31 December 1892):
the 'hot dog' was quickly inserted in a gash in a roll.
Subsequent uses include the ''New Brunswick ''(New Jersey)'' Daily Times'' (May 20, 1893), the ''New York World'' (May 26, 1893), and the ''Knoxville ''(Tennessee)'' Journal'' (September 28, 1893).
According to one story, the use of the complete phrase ''hot dog'' (in reference to sausage) was coined by the newspaper cartoonist
Thomas Aloysius "Tad" Dorgan around 1900 in a cartoon recording the sale of hot dogs during a New York Giants baseball game at the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...
.
![Indoor Sports (January 8, 1916)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Indoor_Sports_%28January_8%2C_1916%29.jpg)
However, Dorgan's earliest usage of ''hot dog'' was not in reference to a baseball game at the Polo Grounds, but to a bicycle race at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
, in ''
The New York Evening Journal'' December 12, 1906, by which time the term ''hot dog'' in reference to sausage was already in use.
Hot Dog (Polo Grounds myth & original monograph)
No copy of the
apocryphal
Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...
cartoon has ever been found.
General description
Ingredients
Common hot dog sausage ingredients include:
*Meat trimmings and fat
*Flavorings, such as salt, garlic, and
paprika
Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
*Preservatives (cure) – typically sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite
Pork and beef are the traditional meats used in hot dogs. Less expensive hot dogs are often made from chicken or turkey, using low-cost
mechanically separated poultry
Mechanically separated meat (MSM), mechanically recovered/reclaimed meat (MRM), or mechanically deboned meat (MDM) is a paste-like meat product produced by forcing pureed or ground beef, pork, mutton, Domestic turkey, turkey or chicken, under h ...
. Changes in meat technology and dietary preferences have led manufacturers to lower the salt content and use turkey, chicken, and vegetarian meat substitutes.
Commercial preparation
Hot dogs are prepared commercially by mixing the ingredients (meats, spices, binders and fillers) in vats where rapidly moving blades grind and mix the ingredients in the same operation. This mixture is forced through tubes into casings for cooking. Most hot dogs sold in the US are "skinless" rather than "natural casing" sausages.
Natural-casing hot dogs
As with most sausages, hot dogs must be in a casing to be cooked. Traditional casing is made from the small intestines of sheep. The products are known as "natural casing" hot dogs or frankfurters.
[It's All in How the Dog Is Served]
/ref> These hot dogs have firmer texture and a "snap" that releases juices and flavor when the product is bitten.[
]Kosher
(also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...
casings are expensive in commercial quantities in the US, so kosher hot dogs are usually skinless or made with reconstituted collagen casings.[
]
Skinless hot dogs
"Skinless" hot dogs use a casing for cooking, but the casing may be a long tube of thin cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell wall ...
that is removed between cooking and packaging, a process invented in Chicago in 1925 by Erwin O. Freund, founder of Visking.
The first skinless hot dog casings were produced by Freund's new company under the name " Nojax", short for "no jackets" and sold to local Chicago sausage makers.
Skinless hot dogs vary in surface texture, but have a softer "bite" than with natural casing. Skinless hot dogs are more uniform in shape and size and cheaper to make than natural casing hot dogs.
Home consumption
A hot dog may be prepared and served in various ways. Typically it is served in a hot dog bun with various condiments and toppings. The sausage itself may be sliced and added, without bread, to other dishes.
File:Hotdog (4739769948).jpg, Hot dog garnished with ketchup and onions
File:Allina Volunteer at National Night Out (229022095).jpg, Hot dogs being grilled
File:Hot Dog Toaster.jpg, Toaster for hot dog buns that grills hot dogs at the same time
File:Long hot dog in bun.jpg, Hot Dog at College Fair
Sandwich debate
There is an ongoing debate about whether or not a hot dog fits the description of a sandwich
A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) is an American trade association that promotes the hotdog, hot dog and sausage industry.
It was founded in 1994 by the American Meat Institute. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Eric Mittenth ...
(NHDSC) has declared that a hot dog is not a sandwich. Hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut
Joseph Christian Chestnut (born November 25, 1983) is an American competitive eater. As of 2022, he is ranked first in the world by Major League Eating. He is a California native and resides in Westfield, Indiana. Chestnut's height is ; his weigh ...
and former hot dog eating champion Takeru Kobayashi
, also known as Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi, is a Japanese competitive eater.
Described as "the godfather of competitive eating", Kobayashi is a six-time champion of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and is widely credited with popularizing the spor ...
agree with the NHDSC. Merriam-Webster
Merriam-Webster, Inc. is an American company that publishes reference books and is especially known for its dictionaries. It is the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States.
In 1831, George and Charles Merriam founded the company as ...
, on the other hand, has stated that a hot dog is indeed a sandwich. United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by President ...
also weighed in on the matter, stating that a hot dog might be categorized as a sandwich, but ultimately it comes down to the definition of a sandwich. She went on to acknowledge that a hot dog bun is a single roll that is not sliced all the way through and in that way is similar to a submarine sandwich
A submarine sandwich, commonly known as a sub, hoagie (Philadelphia metropolitan area and Western Pennsylvania English), hero (New York City English), Italian ( Maine English), grinder (New England English), wedge (Westchester, NY), or a spuckie ...
.
In June 2022, Jon Batiste
Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and television personality. He has recorded and performed with artists in various genres of music (Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, ...
stated that hot dogs were his favourite kind of sandwiches when he was given the Colbert Questionert by Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
.
Health risks
Although hot dogs are cooked during manufacture, it is still recommended that packaged hot dogs are heated to an internal temperature of at least 165 °F (75 °C) prior to consumption.
Most hot dogs are high in fat and salt and have preservatives sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Chile saltpeter (large deposits of which were historically mined in Chile) to distinguish it from ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate. T ...
and sodium nitrite
Sodium nitrite is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula NaNO2. It is a white to slightly yellowish crystalline powder that is very soluble in water and is hygroscopic. From an industrial perspective, it is the most important nitrite ...
, which are contributors to nitrate-containing chemicals classified as group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
, although this has been disputed.[New Attack Ad Targets Hot Dogs, Citing Dubious Cancer Risk]
Fox News, August 26, 2008. These health concerns have resulted in manufacturers offering alternative product lines made from turkey and chicken, and uncured, low-sodium, and "all-natural" franks.
Hot dogs have relatively low carcinogenic heterocyclic amine
Heterocyclic amines, also sometimes referred to as HCAs, are chemical compounds containing at least one heterocyclic ring, which by definition has atoms of at least two different elements, as well as at least one amine (nitrogen-containing) group. ...
(HCA) levels compared to other types of ready-to-eat meat products because they are manufactured at low temperatures.
An American Institute for Cancer Research
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is a large American cancer research organization associated with the World Cancer Research Fund umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-spec ...
(AICR) report found that consuming one daily 50-gram serving of processed meat — about one hot dog — increases long-term risk of colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...
by 20 percent.[AICR Statement: Hot Dogs and Cancer Risk]
, American Institute for Cancer Research, July 22, 2009. Thus, eating a hot dog every day would increase the probability of contracting colorectal cancer from 5.8 percent to 7 percent. The AICR's warning campaign has been criticized as being "attack ads".
, ''Canadian Broadcasting Company
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
'', August 27, 2008. The Cancer Project group filed a class-action lawsuit demanding warning labels on packages and at sporting events.[Hot dog cancer-warning labels sought in lawsuit: Healthy Cleveland]
''The Plain Dealer
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of Ma ...
'', August 29, 2009. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
Like many foods, hot dogs can cause illness if not cooked properly to kill pathogens. ''Listeria monocytogenes
''Listeria monocytogenes'' is the species of pathogenic bacteria that causes the infection listeriosis. It is a facultative anaerobic bacterium, capable of surviving in the presence or absence of oxygen. It can grow and reproduce inside the host' ...
'', a type of bacteria sometimes found in hot dogs, can cause serious infections in infants and pregnant women, and can be transmitted to an infant ''in utero'' or after birth. Adults with suppressed immune systems can also be harmed.
Due to their size, shape, and ubiquitous consumption, hot dogs present a significant choking risk, especially for children. A study in the US found that 17% of food-related asphyxiations among children younger than 10 years of age were caused by hot dogs. The risk of choking on a hot dog is greatly reduced by slicing it. It has been suggested that redesign of the size, shape and texture of hot dogs would reduce the choking risk.
In the United States
Hot dogs are a traditional element of American food culture, having obtained significant cultural and patriotic status from their association with public events and sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
since the 1920s. In the US, the term ''hot dog'' refers to both the sausage by itself and the combination of sausage and bun. Many nicknames applying to either have emerged over the years, including frankfurter, frank, wiener, weenie, coney, and red hot. Annually, Americans consume 20 billion hot dogs.
Hot dog restaurants
Stands and trucks sell hot dogs at street and highway locations. Wandering hot dog vendors sell their product in baseball parks. At convenience stores, hot dogs are kept heated on rotating grills. 7-Eleven
7-Eleven, Inc., stylized as 7-ELEVE, is a multinational chain of retail convenience stores, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The chain was founded in 1927 as an ice house storefront in Dallas. It was named Tote'm Stores between 1928 and 1946. A ...
sells the most grilled hot dogs in North America — 100 million annually. Hot dogs are also common on restaurants' children's menus. Fast-food restaurant chains typically do not carry hot dogs because of its shorter shelf-life, more complex toppings and cooking, and mismatched consumer expectations. There are also restaurants where hot dogs are a specialty.
Condiments
Hot dogs are commonly served with one or more condiments. In 2005, the US-based National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (part of the American Meat Institute) found mustard to be the most popular, preferred by 32% of respondents; 23% favored ketchup; 17% chili; 9% pickle relish, and 7% onions. Other toppings include sauerkraut, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and chili peppers.
Condiment preferences vary across the U.S. Southerners showed the strongest preference for chili, while Midwesterners showed the greatest affinity for ketchup.![Sigh and Elaine Bell Catering Pop-Up, Sonoma, California 07](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Sigh_and_Elaine_Bell_Catering_Pop-Up%2C_Sonoma%2C_California_07.jpg)
Variations
American hot dog variations often have misleading names; they are commonly named for the geographical regions that allegedly inspired them instead of the regions in which they are most popular. For example, michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
hot dogs, also known as white hot
The white hot is a variation on the hot dog found primarily in the Rochester, NY area, as well as other parts of Western New York and Central New York. It is composed of a combination of uncured and unsmoked pork, beef, and veal; the lack of sm ...
s, are popular in upstate New York, whereas Coney Island hot dog
A Coney Island hot dog, Coney dog, or Coney is a hot dog in a bun topped with a savory meat sauce and sometimes other toppings. It is often offered as part of a menu of classic American "diner" dishes and often at Coney Island restaurants. It is ...
s are popular in Michigan.
Sauteed bell peppers, onions, and potatoes find their way into New Jersey's deep-fried Italian hot dog
An Italian hot dog is a type of hot dog popular in New Jersey, United States, made by Jimmy Buff and his wife Mary Racioppi. His family continues the restaurant Jimmy Buff's to this day. Other restaurants like Joe Joe's Italian Hot Dog in Toms Ri ...
. Hot wiener
The hot wiener, or New York System wiener is a staple of the food culture of Rhode Island where it is primarily sold at "New York System" restaurants.
Preparation
The traditional wiener is made with a small, thin hot dog made of beef, veal and p ...
s, or weenies, are a staple in Rhode Island where they are sold at restaurants under the misleading name "New York System."[Lukas, Paul]
"The Big Flavors Of Little Rhode Island."
''The New York Times''. November 13, 2002. Texas hot dog
A chili dog is a hot dog served in a bun and topped with a meat sauce, such as chili con carne. Additional toppings may include cheese, onions, and mustard. The style has multiple regional variations in the United States, many calling for speci ...
s are spicy variants found in upstate New York and Pennsylvania (and as "all the way dogs" in New Jersey), but not Texas. In the Philadelphia metro area
The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Vall ...
, Texas Tommy refers to a hot dog variant in which the frank is topped with melted cheese (often cheddar) and wrapped in bacon
Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sand ...
. In the Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
, the Chicago-style hot dog
A Chicago-style hot dog, Chicago Dog, or Chicago Red Hot is an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, originating from the city of Chicago, Illinois. The hot dog is topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pick ...
is served on a poppy seed bun and topped with mustard, fresh tomatoes, onions, "sport peppers", bright green relish, dill pickles, and celery salt.
The " New York dog" or "New York style" hot dog is a natural-casing all-beef frank topped with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard, onions optional, invented and popularized in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Some baseball parks have signature hot dogs, such as Dodger Dog
The Dodger Dog is a hot dog named after the Major League Baseball franchise that sells them (the Los Angeles Dodgers). It is a 10-inch pork wiener wrapped in a steamed bun. The hot dog is sold at Dodger Stadium located in Los Angeles, California ...
s at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and Fenway Franks at Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
in Boston.
In Canada
Skinner's Restaurant, in Lockport, Manitoba
Lockport is a small unincorporated community in Manitoba, Canada. It is located north of the city of Winnipeg along the Red River. The community is split between the Rural Municipalities of St. Andrews (west of the river) and St. Clements ( ...
, is reputed to be Canada's oldest hot dog outlet in continuous operation, founded in 1929 by Jim Skinner Sr. Hot dogs served at Skinner's are European style foot-long (30.5 cm) hot dogs with natural casings, manufactured by Winnipeg Old Country Sausage in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Half Moon Drive In, also in Lockport, Manitoba, and located directly across the river from Skinner's, was established in 1938 by brothers Peter and Louie Kosowicz. The original drive-in consisted of three wooden buildings shaped like semicircles — one was for takeout, one was for dine-in, and the third was a dance hall and later an arcade. The Half Moon also serves European-style wieners manufactured by Winnipeg Old Country Sausage. One of the most popular items on the menu is the Moon Dog, consisting of a hot dog topped with cheese, bacon, fried onions, pickles and mustard; the Half Moon serves about 2,000 on an average summer weekend day.
Outside North America
In most of the world, a "hot dog" is recognized as a sausage in a bun, but the type varies considerably. The name is often applied to something that would not be described as a hot dog in North America. For example, in New Zealand a "hot dog" is a battered sausage, often on a stick, which is known as a corn dog
A corn dog (also spelled corndog) is a sausage (usually a hot dog) on a stick that has been coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter and deep fried. It originated in the United States and is commonly found in American cuisine.
History
Newly a ...
in North America; an "American hot dog" is the version in a bun.
Gallery
File:Austrian Hot Dog.jpg, An Austrian "hot dog" can use a hollowed-out baguette
A baguette (; ) is a long, thin type of bread of French origin that is commonly made from basic lean dough (the dough, though not the shape, is defined by French law). It is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust.
A baguette has a di ...
as the bread
File:Thai hot dogs.JPG, Grilled sausages on sticks for sale in Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
File:わさびぬき (3559517214).jpg, Hot dog sushi
is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is " ...
File:Khanom Tokiao.jpg, Thai ''khanom Tokiao'' being prepared, a Thai style crêpe with a hot dog sausage, at a night market
File:ミニホットドック (16853193965).jpg, Miniature hot dogs in Japan
File:Hot dog from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur.jpg, Hot dog from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
(, en, The Town's Best Hot Dogs) is a small chain of hot dog stands located in Reykjavík, Iceland.
History
The chain has been in continuous operation since 1937 when the first stand was set up on Austurstræti street at the very centre of t ...
in Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
File:Cachorro-quente.jpg, In Brazil, a ''cachorro-quente'' is served on a bread roll with a tomato-based broth, corn, and potato sticks.
File:Completo italiano.jpg, The ''completo
The completo (Spanish for "complete", "total") is a hot dog variation eaten in Chile, usually served with ingredients such as chopped tomatoes, avocados, mayonnaise, sauerkraut, salsa Americana, ají pepper and green sauce. It can be twice the ...
'', a chilean version of hot dog with additional sausages.
Records
The world's longest hot dog
The world's longest hot dog is a world record dating back to at least 2001. The record was most recently beaten in October 2017 in the town of Flensburg in Germany, where a group manufactured and served a U-shaped hot dog with a length of .
Curr ...
had been long and rested within a bun. The hot dog was prepared by Shizuoka Meat Producers for the All-Japan Bread Association, which baked the bun and coordinated the event, including official measurement for the world record. The hot dog and bun were the center of a media event in celebration of the Association's 50th anniversary on August 4, 2006, at the Akasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo.
On May 31, 2012, Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
certified the world record for the most expensive hot dog at USD$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
145.49. The "California Capitol City Dawg", served at Capitol Dawg in Sacramento, California, features a grilled all-beef, natural-casing frank from Chicago, served on a fresh-baked herb-and-oil focaccia roll, spread with white truffle butter, then grilled. It is topped with whole-grain mustard from France, garlic and herb mayonnaise, sauteed chopped shallots, organic mixed baby greens, maple syrup-marinated and fruitwood-smoked uncured bacon from New Hampshire, chopped tomato, moose cheese
Moose cheese is cheese created from moose milk. Varieties of moose cheese are produced in Sweden by Christer and Ulla Johansson at their location called "Moose House" or "Elk House".Culture Magazine; Miller, Laurel; Skinner, Thalassa (2012)''Cheese ...
from Sweden, sweetened dried cranberries, basil olive oil and pear-cranberry-coconut balsamic vinaigrette, and ground peppercorn. Proceeds from the sale of each super dog were donated to the Shriners Hospitals for Children
Shriners Children's is a network of non-profit medical facilities across North America. Children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-center ...
.
Hot dogs are a popular food for eating competitions. The record for hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes is 75. This record is held by Joey Chestnut
Joseph Christian Chestnut (born November 25, 1983) is an American competitive eater. As of 2022, he is ranked first in the world by Major League Eating. He is a California native and resides in Westfield, Indiana. Chestnut's height is ; his weigh ...
, who achieved this feat at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition. It is held each year on Independence Day (United States), July 4th at Nathan's Famous, Nathan's Famous Corporation's original, ...
on July 4, 2020, beating his previous record of 74. The last person to hold the record before Chestnut was Takeru Kobayashi
, also known as Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi, is a Japanese competitive eater.
Described as "the godfather of competitive eating", Kobayashi is a six-time champion of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and is widely credited with popularizing the spor ...
. Competitive eater Miki Sudo
Miki Sudo (born ) is an American competitive eater. She won the women's competition at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest every year from 2014 to 2020, unseating Sonya Thomas, who had won the women's competition since its inception in 2011. Sh ...
holds the record for most hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes by a female at 48.5 hot dogs, also setting this record on July 4, 2020. The last person to hold the record before Sudo was Sonya Thomas
Sonya Thomas (born Lee Sun-kyung on July 26, 1967), also known by her nickname The Black Widow, and "The Leader of the Four Horsemen of the Esophagus", is a South Korean-born American competitive eater from Alexandria, Virginia. Thomas joined ...
.
See also
* Advanced meat recovery
Advanced meat recovery (AMR) is a slaughterhouse deboning process by which the last traces of skeletal muscle meat are removed from animal bones after the primal cuts have been carved off manually.
The machinery used in this process separates mea ...
* Breakfast roll
The breakfast roll ( ga, rollóg bhricfeasta, ) is a bread roll filled with elements of a traditional fried breakfast. It is served at a wide variety of convenience shops, newsagents, supermarkets, petrol stations, and casual eateries throughout ...
* By-products
A by-product or byproduct is a secondary product derived from a production process, manufacturing process or chemical reaction; it is not the primary product or service being produced.
A by-product can be useful and marketable or it can be consid ...
* Hamburger
A hamburger, or simply burger, is a food consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically Ground beef, beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles ...
* Hot dog variations
Different areas of the world have local variations on the hot dog, in the type of meat used, the condiments added, and its means of preparation.
United States
Hot dogs are a very popular sandwich throughout the United States. Many regional ...
* List of hot dogs
This is a list of hot dog dishes. A hot dog is a type of cooked sausage, traditionally grilled or steamed and served in a partially sliced bun. This type of sausage was culturally imported from Germany and popularized in the United States, where ...
* List of hot dog restaurants
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
* Mechanically separated meat
Mechanically separated meat (MSM), mechanically recovered/reclaimed meat (MRM), or mechanically deboned meat (MDM) is a paste-like meat product produced by forcing pureed or ground beef, pork, mutton, turkey or chicken, under high pressure thro ...
* Pigs in a blanket
Pigs in a blanket is a small hot dog or other sausage wrapped in pastry commonly served as an appetizer in the United States. The similarity in name with that of the UK dish pigs in blankets, which is a sausage wrapped in bacon, sometimes caus ...
* Sausage bun
* Sausage sandwich
A sausage sandwich is a sandwich containing cooked sausage. It may consist of an oblong bread roll such as a baguette or ciabatta roll, and sliced or whole links of sausage, such as hot or sweet Italian sausage, Polish sausage, German sausage ( ...
* Vienna sausage
A Vienna sausage (german: Wiener Würstchen, Wiener; Viennese/Austrian German: ''Frankfurter Würstel'' or ''Würstl''; Swiss German: ''Wienerli''; Swabian: ''Wienerle'' or ''Saitenwurst'') is a thin parboiled sausage traditionally made of p ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
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Further reading
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External links
Home page for a PBS documentary about hot dogs
USDA Fact Sheet on hot dogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hot Dog
American fast food
Articles containing video clips
Cuisine of Chicago
Cuisine of New York City
German-American cuisine
Hot sandwiches
Independence Day (United States) foods
National dishes
Sausage sandwiches
Street food in the United States