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A hot dog is a type of cooked, cured and often smoked sausage of even texture and flavor that is softer and more moist than most sausages, and the sausage most readily eaten as finger food, especially in the United States. As finger food, it is usually placed hot in a soft sliced bun of the same shape as the sausage, and optionally includes condiments and toppings. The resulting sandwich is also called a hot dog.

The flavor of hot dogs varies widely by region and by personal preference as do the toppings. The flavor of the sausage itself somewhat resembles bologna on the bland side, to cooked salami for the spicier varieties.

Hot dogs are traditionally made from beef, pork or a combination of those meats. Unlike many other sausages (which may be sold cooked or uncooked), hot dogs are always cooked before being offered commercially. Barring spoilage, they may be safely eaten without further cooking or reheating but are often unpalatable that way. Vegetarian sausages made from meat analogues can also be made into hot dogs.

Hot dogs are also called frankfurters, or franks for short (named after the city of Frankfurt, Germany), or wieners or weenies (named after the city of Vienna, Austria, whose German name is "Wien"). In Australia the term frankfurt is used rather than frankfurter. A tiny version called a cocktail frank or cocktail weenie is sometimes served at parties and eaten on the end of a toothpick.

History

The American story of the invention of the hot dog, like the hamburger and ice cream cone, is often attributed to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. However, similar sausages were made and consumed in Europe, particularly in Germany, as early as 1864. The hot dog's association with baseball also predates the 1904 Exposition. St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe sold them at his ballpark in the 1880s.

Hot dogs were frequently known as frankfurters or franks, but the name "hot dog" became popular by the 1890s. In the 1830s, it was widely rumored that the dogs that roamed urban streets were regularly rounded up (by "dog wagons") and made into sausages; by the 1840s, the term "dog sandwich" was used. The 1860s popular song "Der Deitcher's Dog" (written by Septimus Winner and known by the lyrics "Where oh where has my little dog gone?") contained:

Und sausage is goot: Baloney, of course,

Oh! where, oh! where can he be?

Dey makes ‘em mit dog, und dey makes ‘em mit horse:

I guess dey makes ‘em mit he.

"Hot dog" first came into use in an old joke involving a dog's "pants" (the verb "pant" substituted for the noun). The following was widely reprinted in newspapers, from at least 1870: "What’s the difference between a chilly man and a hot dog? One wears a great coat, and the other pants." The October 18, 1894 University of Michigan humor magazine The Wrinkle contained this on the cover page: "Two Greeks a 'hot dog' freshman sought. The Clothes they found, their favors bought." "Hot dog" meant a stylish dresser, someone who was sharply attired. A popular phrase was "puttin' on the dog."

The night lunch wagons (popular in cities and on college campuses) that served hot sausages were called "dog wagons" by the 1890s. At Yale University, a "dog wagon" called "The Kennel Club" opened in 1894. The first known use of the phrase "hot dog" (sausage) appears in print on October 19, 1895 in the Yale Record of New Haven, Connecticut which reads: "They contentedly munched hot dogs during the whole service;" two weeks prior, the Yale Record recorded: "Tis dogs' delight to bark and bite, Thus does the adage run. But I delight to bite the dog when placed inside a bun." Hot dog became an extension of the older use of dog to mean a sausage.

Hot dog lore suggests that newspaper cartoonist Tad Dorgan coined (or at least popularized) the term "hot dog" when he used it in the caption of a 1906 cartoon illustrating sausage vendors at the Polo Grounds baseball stadium because he couldn't spell "frankfurter". In some versions he could not spell dachshund. However, "hot dog" appears in print well before this date. The actual "Tad" cartoons featuring hot dogs (New York Evening Journal, December 12 and December 13, 1906) are from a bicycle race at Madison Square Garden, not a baseball game at the Polo Grounds.

Claims of "invention" of the hot dog are difficult to assess, because different stories assert the creation of the sausage itself, the placing of the sausage (or another kind of sausage) on bread or a bun as finger food, the mass popularization of the existing dish, or the application of the name "hot dog" to a sausage and bun combination. In 2001 the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council stated that others assert the hot dog was created in the late 1600s by Johann Georghehner, a butcher living in the German city of Coburg. Others have also been "acknowledged" for supposedly inventing the hot dog. Charles Feltman and Antonoine Feuchtwanger are among this group.

General description

A hot dog is typically distinguishable from other sausages by its smaller size and relative lack of spicing. A regular hot dog of the kind popular at sporting events and readily available in supermarkets is roughly 6 inches in length (15 cm), though thickness and length can vary. Twelve-inch (30-cm) or "footlong" hot dogs are popular in some regions. These hot dogs are typically lightly spiced and their smaller size translates into the product being more commonly eaten by children than other sausages. There is wide regional variation in hot dog preferences and many local brands, as well as nationally distributed brands that tend to market similar products to all regions.

Ingredients

There is no fixed specification for hot dog meat, with pork and beef being the most popular. Less expensive hot dogs typically contain chicken, due to the low cost and availability of mechanically separated chicken, and some pork. Hot dogs are generally regarded as unhealthy insofar as most have high sodium, fat and nitrate content. Contents can also be questionable, with cheaper types of hot dogs having been known to contain snouts, ears and blended organ meat.In recent years, due to changing dietary preferences in the U.S., manufacturers have turned to turkey, chicken, or vegetarian meat substitutes as well as lowering the salt content.

In general, if a manufacturer produces two different hot-dog-type sausages, "wieners" tend to contain pork, and to be the blander of the two, while "franks" tend to be all-beef, and more strongly seasoned. This is particularly true of Oscar Mayer.

Commercial preparation

Hot dogs are typically prepared commercially by mixing all of the ingredients (meats, spices, binders and fillers, if any) in large vats where rapidly moving blades grind and mix the ingredients in the same operation, assuring a homogeneous product. This mixture is then forced through tubes into casings for cooking. Most hot dogs sold in the US are called "skinless" as opposed to more expensive "natural casing" hot dogs.

Natural casing hot dogs

As with virtually all sausages, hot dogs must be in a casing in order to be cooked. Traditionally this casing is made from the thoroughly cleaned small intestines of sheep, and are known as "natural casing" hot dogs or frankfurters. These kinds of hot dogs are preferred by some for their firmer texture and the "snap" that releases juices and flavor when the product is bitten into.

Skinless hot dogs

"Skinless" hot dogs also must use a casing in the cooking process when the product is manufactured, but here the casing is usually a long tube of thin cooking plastic that is completely removed after cooking and before packaging. Skinless hot dogs vary in the texture of the product surface but have a softer "bite" than natural casing hot dogs. Skinless hot dogs are more uniform in shape and size than natural casing hot dogs and less expensive to produce.

Kosher hot dogs

A kosher hot dog is one made in accordance with Jewish dietary laws, which include a ban on pork. Most fillers, such as dairy powders used to extend or flavor the meat, also cannot be used. As with some other commercially-prepared Kosher foods, these ingredient restrictions and greater confidence in oversight of production facilities attract a significant non-Jewish market that perceives Kosher hot dogs to be healthier than other hot dogs.

Kosher hot dogs are popular at some American baseball stadiums. Kosher hot dogs are similar to the kinds, kosher and non-kosher, popular in New York City, and are preferred by some consumers for their distinctive taste, texture and spicing. These brands are usually sold at a premium and are all-beef.

Final preparation

For a full list of regional differences in hot dog preparation and condiments, see Hot dog variations.

Hot dogs may be grilled, steamed, boiled, pan fried, deep fried, broiled, microwaved, or eaten cold (most of the sausages themselves are cooked before packaging).

A hot dog on a stick fried in corn batter is commonly called a corn dog ('battered sav' or 'dagwood dog' or 'pluto pup' in Australia or 'pogo' in Canada). A corn dog might be eaten plain or with mustard or ketchup. In South Korea, vendors coat them with sugar. Corn dogs are popular in the U.S. and are widely associated with state fairs and other public gatherings. A hot dog which is split down the center, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep-fried is known as a francheesie.

Other variations are found. A hot dog served with the addition of cheese is known as a "cheese hotdog" or simply a "cheese dog". "Cheese dog" may also refer to a hot dog that contains processed cheese within the hot dog itself. A hot dog served with the addition of chili is typically known as a "chili dog" or "coney dog" in some areas (an exception being New York City's Coney Island).

In Quebec, Canada this is known as a "michigan" due to its popularity and possible origin in that U.S. state. A hot dog served with both of these would be a "chili cheese dog" or "cheese coney". Chili dogs and cheese dogs are popular foods at carnivals and amusement parks.

Condiments

Throughout the world, there are numerous variations in hot dog condiments from region to region. The most common are mustard, ketchup, chili, sauerkraut, coleslaw, pickle relish and chopped onion. Others include mayonnaise, chopped lettuce, tomato (chopped, sliced, or in wedges), pickle spear, celery salt, cheese, canned corn, deep-fried potato sticks, and hot peppers, and usually served in a bun.

In the United States, the Hot Dog Council ran a poll in 2005, which, according to their press release found mustard the most popular condiment (32 percent). "Twenty-three percent of Americans said they preferred ketchup. Chili came in third at 17 percent, followed by relish (9 percent) and onions (7 percent). Southerners showed the strongest preference for Chili, while Midwesterners showed the greatest affinity for ketchup. Nationwide, however, mustard prevailed."

Some Americans believe that a properly made hot dog should never be topped with ketchup. Often these people believe the flavor of ketchup overpowers and destroys the taste of the hot dog instead of complementing it. In Chicago, some restaurants and hot-dog stands that consider themselves to be "true" Chicago hot dog grills do not, as a rule, carry ketchup in stock, even if they serve other food items that use this condiment, such as french fries. The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, in its recommendations for proper Hot Dog Etiquette capitulate only slightly to the public's general regard for ketchup, saying "Don't use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18". (This alludes to the fact that many children like ketchup on their hot-dogs due to the sweet taste, but adults are expected to have a more sophisticated palate).

The attitude against the use of ketchup was summarized by Chicago writer, Mike Royko, in one of his columns:

"No, I won't condemn anyone for putting ketchup on a hot dog. This is the land of the free. And if someone wants to put ketchup on a hot dog and actually eat the awful thing, that is their right. It is also their right to put mayo or chocolate syrup or toenail clippings or cat hair on a hot dog. Sure, it would be disgusting and perverted, and they would be shaming themselves and their loved ones. But under our system of government, it is their right to be barbarians."

In the film Sudden Impact, San Francisco detective Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) launches a tirade while conversing with a cop who's munching a ketchup-topped dog at a murder scene:

"Nah, this stuff isn't getting to me — the shootings, the knifings, the beatings... old ladies being bashed in the head for their social security checks Nah, that doesn't bother me. But you know what does bother me? You know what makes me really sick to my stomach? It's watching you stuff your face with those hot dogs. Nobody... I mean nobody puts ketchup on a hot dog."

Availability

In the U.S., along with ballparks, regional restaurants offer hot dogs. Few national chains in the U.S. offer the sandwich, although its ease of preparation makes it ideal for fast food service.

A few chains in the U.S. that offer hot dogs include Sonic Drive-In and Dog n Suds, who call it a coney; Hardee's (but not their counterpart Carl's Jr. on the west coast of the United States); Dairy Queen; Wienerschnitzel (originally Der Wienerschnitzel), whose menu focuses on hot dogs; The Frankfurter in Seattle, Washington; Woody's Chicago Style; Nathan's Famous, which sponsors the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest; and A&W. Krystal restaurants in the southeast offer a small hot dog called a Krystal Pup, and Fatburger, located mostly on the west coast of the U.S., offers hot dogs and chili dogs.

Yocco's Hot Dogs, founded in 1922, maintains four restaurants in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania and is known for its long-standing specialty on hot dogs and various toppings. Given Yocco's strong global popularity, the restaurant also has a mail-order business, providing frozen hot dog bags to customers around the U.S. and the world. A map of the world in each of their four restaurants marks the thousands of locations in the U.S. and internationally that have ordered Yocco's hot dogs.

Casual dining restaurants often have a hot dog on their children's menu, but not on the regular menu. Hot dog stands and trucks sell hot dogs and accompaniments, as well as similar products at street and highway locations.

Hot dogs in popular culture

• On A Saturday Night Live skit, there is a family which consists of a man, a half-hot dog half-boy, and a regular hot dog. The regular hot dog is the mother. They are discussing puberty, but some of the things they discuss are about him thinking that both the girls and the hot dogs at school are cute. At the end of the skit, the father eats the mother.
• In a Jason Steele Cartoon called "Hangin' out at the Grill," there is a hot dog who is hitting on the chicken breast and prefers to be called "Oscar."
• There is a short pair of stop-motion cartoons called "Hotdog Job 1&2" made by the popular clay-animator Robert "Knox" Benfer. In the cartoon, there is a man who sells hot dogs, a God of hot dogs, and a living evil hot dog whos goal is to "eat your toes!"

Trivia

• Hot dogs are the most widely consumed form of sausage in the USA. Scandinavia, especially Denmark, is famous for its hot dogs, as is Chicago and American baseball parks, especially Dodger Stadium.
• Takeru Kobayashi is the world's fastest hot dog eater. In 2002 he beat his previous record by one half of a hot dog, consuming 50.5 Nathan's famous hot dogs in 12 minutes. On July 4, 2006 he set a new record when he ate 53.75 in the same amount of time.

• The World's Longest Hot Dog and bun created were 104 feet, 9 inches long (31.9 m). The hot dog was prepared by Hill Meat Co. in Pendleton, OR for Franz Family Bakeries who baked the bun, and coordinated the event, which included the official measurement for the World Record. The hot dog and bun were the center of a media event in celebration of Franz's 100th Anniversary on July 6, 2006.
• Mickey Mouse's first spoken words were "Hot Dogs!".

• In Argentina they are known as "panchos" and "superpanchos".

• In parts of Latin America they are known as perros calientes—a Spanish calque—while in Spain they are perritos calientes, literally "hot small dogs." Other parts of Latin America use hot dog as a loan phrase.

• The city of Huntington, West Virginia hosts the annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival.

• A person in a "hot dog" suit can be seen racing around the field following the sixth inning of all Milwaukee Brewers home games. It competes against the other Klement's Racing Sausages, which also include an Italian sausage, bratwurst, and Polish sausage, and for one race in July 2006, a chorizo.

• Each year at Suffolk Downs in Boston, Massachusetts, thousands of people come to the Hot Dog Safari to contribute money to help people with cystic fibrosis.

• A meat market owner in DuBois, Pennsylvania created a peanut butter hot dog recipe at the suggestion of the mother of a seven-year-old customer. The popularity of this invention spread around via the internet, and now the town of DuBois is discussing a "peanut butter hot dog" festival.

• In Austria, the term hot dog refers to a hollowed out piece of baguette bread with any of a multiple variety of sausages. Customers at hot dog stands have the option of eating sausage on a plate or having it served in "hot dog form."

• In Discordianism, hot dog buns are considered taboo because of the "Original Snub" as depicted in the Principia Discordia.

See also

• Mechanically separated meat
• Advanced meat recovery
• Chicago-style hot dog
• Carolina style
• Dodger Dog
• Hot dog variations
• Cheese dog

External links

• Hot dog history, legends and trivia
• National Hot Dog & Sausage Council
• Home page for a PBS documentary about hot dogs
• The Evolution of Hot Dogs
• USDA Fact Sheet focusing on Hot Dogs
• The Straight Dope: Why is there no ketchup on a properly made hot dog?

• Hot dogs