Food of the Month: Hot Dogs

Posted on 11/06/2022 by FTB

The hot dog can be found all around the United States with a variety of toppings, including bacon, cheddar, ketchup, and chili. Even though the majority of people would rather not know what's in it, it's unquestionably a treasured component of American food. But those who are knowledgeable about the history of the hot dog will know that this snack is not actually American in origin because the origins of this iconic baseball lunch date back to a time long before Columbus set sail for the New World.

HISTORY

Although the first hot dog is thought to have been made in the first century CE, its origins date back to 700 BCE. According to legend, the inflated, empty intestines of a roasted pig that had not been properly cleaned fell out when Emperor Nero's cook, Gaius, stabbed it with a knife. He tried stuffing the casing with ground meat and seasonings after exclaiming in amazement at his finding. Over the ensuing centuries, the sausage made its way through Europe to Germany, where it eventually became known as the wiener. This modern staple is said to have originated in both Frankfurt and Vienna.Five years before Columbus set sail for the new land, in 1487, it is supposed that the frankfurter sausage was invented there. The name "wiener" is used by the residents of Vienna (Wien), Austria, to support their assertion that their city is the hot dog's birthplace. It turns out that the North American hot dog most likely originated from a popular common European sausage that butchers from various ethnicities brought over. Who initially served the dachshund sausage with a roll is also a matter of debate. According to one account, they were offered for sale by a German immigrant in the 1860s on the Bowery in New York City, along with milk buns and sauerkraut, from a push cart (a.k.a. a Food Truck (!))
HOW TO EAT A HOT DOG

Did you know that you could make terrible mistakes when eating hot dogs? Luckily Foodtruckbooking did some research to save you the embarrassment when eating a delicious hot dog at a Food Truck.

The DO's and DONT's when eating hot dogs:
- DON'T:Sandwich hot dog toppings between the bun and the hot dog. Never "dress the bun," always "dress the dog. The right order is: Wet condiments, such as mustard and chili, should be used first, followed by chunky condiments, such as relish, onions, and sauerkraut, then shredded cheese, and lastly: spices, such as celery salt or pepper.
- DO: Use your hands to eat hot dogs on buns. Hot dogs on buns shouldn't be touched by utensils.
- DON'T: use a plate for your hot dog. Just use a napkin and eat with your hands (see above).
- DON'T: take more than five bites to finish a hot dog.
- DON'T: overdue the presentation. Hot dogs and fresh herbs on the same platter are overdone in terms of presentation.
- DO: put chili, mustard, relish, onions, or cheese on the hot dog. Ketchup is a no-go.
DELICIOUS FACTS
- The world record for eating hot dogs is 76. Famous Joey Chestnut shattered his own world record in 2021 at the annual hot dog eating competition on July 4th by eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes (!).
- The most popular hot dog topping is mustard (but ketchup comes in a close second.Although it's taboo for adults to eat ketchup on a hot dog, the forbidden topping is still widely used.
- In the United States, 20 billion hot dogs are consumed annually. This equates to approximately 70 hot dogs per person annually.
- The largest hot dog Food Truck is 9 ft 3in width, 23 ft 2 inlength, and12 ft 2.75 in height!
- Peter Czerwinski, a.k.a. Furious Pete,set a record for eating a hot dog without using his hands in 23.12 seconds.