Discover the tasty history of this barbecue staple on Hot Dog Day
SUMMER barbecues wouldn’t be the same without this delicious addition. Where do they come from?
Have you dusted off the BBQ yet for Summer 2024?
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Today marks Hot Dog Day, a day for celebrating all aspects of the tasty sausage and bun treat.
Where do hot dogs come from?
Why are they called hot dogs?
How do the Royal Family eat their hot dogs? All will be revealed…
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History of the hot dog
There’s a lot of mystery when it comes to sorting the fact from the myth in the history of hot dogs.
Many countries and individuals want to take a bite out of this delicious story.
Bread and sausages, the two crucial elements to a hot dog, have been around for centuries.
There are mentions of sausages even as far back as Homer’s Odyssey.
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As for when these two foods came together, things get a little unclear.
Two countries claim the first hot dog as their own: Germany and Austria.
Germany’s claim is that the name of the sausages traditionally used in hot dogs (frankfurters) comes from the city of Frankfurt.
Austria is able to make a similar claim, with the term “wiener” coming from the German word “Wien” (which means “Vienna”).
While the European origins of the hot dog are unclear, sources largely agree that the story hops across the pond in the 19th century and becomes an American tale.
In 1871, German immigrant Charles Feltman opened the first Coney Island hot dog stand.
It is said that he sold over 3,500 dachshund sausages in milk rolls in his first year of business.
The next important year in hot dog history is 1893. This is when the Colombian Exposition was hosted in Chicago.
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Vendors used the exposition as a chance to sell their easy-to-eat and inexpensive hot dogs in large numbers.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council also claim that this was the year that hot dogs became a common baseball game snack thanks to German immigrant Chris von der Ahe, owner of the St. Louis Brown Stockings.
How the hot dog was named
There are a few origin stories as to why this summertime staple is called a “hot dog”.
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One suggestion is that in Autumn 1894, students at Yale would refer to the vendors selling the sausage and roll combo as “dog wagons”, mocking the origins of the meat.
Another take is that in April 1901, vendors were touting their hot goods by shouting “They’re red hot! Get your dachshund sausages while they’re red hot!”
A New York Journal cartoonist was watching and inspired to draw a cartoon of barking dachshund sausages cosily wrapped within rolls.
Not knowing how to spell “dachshund”, he wrote “hot dog” instead.
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Popularity of hot dogs
Nathan Handwerker, a former employee of Charles Feltman, opened the world-famous Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand on Coney Island in 1916.
He decided to sponsor a hot dog eating content on 4th July, which continues annually to this day.
The 2024 winners were Patrick Bertoletti and Miki Sudo.
Patrick ate 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes, while Miki managed 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
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Of course, competitive eaters aren’t the only Americans enjoying hot dogs on Independence Day.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council predict that 150 million hot dogs get eaten on 4th July.
In 2023, Americans spent $8 billion on hot dogs. That’s an estimated 20 billion hot dogs eaten per year.
Royal hot dogs
The Royal Family may be associated with corgis, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t dabbled with a dachshund in the past.
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In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt hosted a picnic for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother).
It is reported that hot dogs were served to the royal couple. Far from rejecting the BBQ delight, the king asked for a second helping!
However, it is also claimed that they chose to forego using their hands and ate them with a knife and fork instead.
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