The ancient spice known as "red gold"
Few foods seem as quintessentially American as the hot dog. Whether you associate these delicious treats with the streets of New York, baseball games, or backyard cookouts, they're sure to put a smile on your face. Yet despite being so deeply associated with the United States, hot dogs are the descendants of the Vienna sausages and frankfurters brought over by European immigrants sometime during the 19th century. Skip ahead two centuries, and hot dogs have become a worldwide phenomenon, with countless countries around the globe putting their own twist on this classic snack. Some stay true to the original, while others are truly innovative.
Getting hungry? While you wait for the grill to heat up, read on to learn about the different styles of hot dogs around the world.
In Chile, they do hot dogs a little differently. The signature Chilean hot dog, known as the completo, is topped with guacamole, aji peppers, sour cream, and salsa. The completo sausage is also about twice the size of the average North American hot dog, so it is sure to satisfy.
The New York street dog is the quintessential American hot dog. Nothing fancy, nothing gimmicky, just a hot dog in a bun with ketchup, mustard, and maybe some relish. A perfect example of why there's no need to fix what isn't broken.
A mess-free favorite, corn dogs can be found just about anywhere these days, but legend has it they originated in Illinois in 1939. While Illinois is still probably the prime place for a corn dog in the United States, half a world away is the country that perfected the corn dog.
In South Korea, corn dogs are a wildly popular street snack, and over the decades vendors there have truly turned it into an art form. A Korean corn dog comes coated in deep-fried potatoes, before being drenched in condiments of your choice.
Arguably the best-loved hot dog style in the world is Chicago style, and it's easy to see why. Chicago style has everything: a quality brat in a poppy seed bun with pickle spears, tomato, diced onion, peppers, mustard, and, of course, a healthy serving of relish.
Italian sausage dogs, despite the name, actually originate from New Jersey, and give an extra kick to your everyday hot dog. It's hard to beat a spicy Italian sausage tucked into a nice bread roll with tomato sauce and peppers.
Arguably the dog that started it all, the traditional Bavarian Bratwurst is enjoyed all over Germany. These high-quality sausages are usually nestled between equally delicious fresh bread buns and served with spicy sauerkraut and mustard.
One of the most unique regional styles of American hot dogs is without a doubt the Polish boy, native to Cleveland, Ohio. Here, a grilled Polish kielbasa sausage is stuck in a hot dog bun and topped with generous portions of coleslaw, French fries, and barbecue sauce.
The Canadian city of Montreal has their own take on the classic American hot dog, known as the Montreal steamie. Steamies are topped with gooey cheese, plain chopped cabbage, and any variety of condiments.
The pride and joy of Washington, D.C. street food, the half-smoke is quite unlike any other hot dog in the world. The massive sausage at the center is a mixture of beef and pork meat, and after being grilled is topped with heaps of thick, savory chili and diced onions.
One of the more recent additions to the global hot dog pantheon is the Australian hamdog, which just hit the scene in 2004. Wrapped in hamburger meat, fried, and placed on a shaped bread bun, you definitely won't mistake the hamdog for any other style.
Seattle-style hot dogs provide a burst of spicy freshness on a rainy day. Served on a toasted bun, Seattle dogs are traditionally topped with cream cheese, jalapeños, cabbage, and barbecue sauce.
A staple of Argentinian street food is the deceptively simple choripan. The choripan consists of delicious chorizo sausage split in two and placed upon a bed of light and tangy chimichurri.
One of the best chili dogs in the country can be found in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they're called Cincinnati coneys. A heaping portion of chili is put on topped of the hot dog, and topped with shredded cheese and diced white onion.
Hot dogs are done a little differently in the Northern European country of Sweden. Put one or two sausages in a bun, cover with mashed potatoes, onions, pickles, and ketchup, and you've got a halv special.
While it may be up for debate which region of the States makes the best chili dog in the country, the first one that comes to most people's mind is certainly the Texas dog. Served with world-famous Texas chili, cheddar or nacho cheese, and pickles or jalapeño, there's not much more one could ask for in a chili dog.
In Iceland, hot dogs are known as pylsur, and while all the expected toppings are available, the sausage meat makes them one of a kind. Instead of pork or beef, the Icelandic pylsur is made with lamb meat.
Presumably called "danger dogs" because of how dangerously good they are, these Mexican hot dogs are wrapped in bacon and then deep-fried before heading for the bun.
Taking a lesson from Mexico's danger dog, LA's street dogs are wrapped and fried in bacon before being smothered by grilled onions, peppers, and all the condiments your heart desires.
Originating in Guatemala but wildly popular across Latin America, shucos are a vibrant and flavorful style of hot dog. Once the dog is split in two, it's tucked into a bread roll with guacamole, red onions, ketchup, mustard, and anything else your heart might desire.
A Czech specialty that has spread across the world, sausage kolaches are also known as klobasneks. Instead of being wedged into an open bun, these sausages are baked inside a delectable semi-sweet bread.
One of the most famous and most unique hot dog styles in the world is the Sonoran hot dog. While it has made its way up north and can now easily be found in Arizona and California, this delicious dog in all its bacon-wrapped and jalapeño-topped glory originates in the Mexican state of Sonora.
The Uruguayan pancho hot dog is perfect for cheese lovers. After the distinctively long sausage link is placed between a bun of pan de Viena, cheese is melted all over, and can be topped with any variety of extras.
In Denmark, the preferred method of hot dog enjoyment comes in the form of pølse, a red sausage spiced with cardamom and nutmeg that can either be put in a bun, or chopped up over French fries.
Only in Hong Kong can you find the perfect mix of sweet and savory in the form of a hot dog. A delicious sausage with all the usually fixings inside a bun-shaped waffle checks off all the boxes.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. One day, someone in Taiwan decided that there was really no need for a bun, when you could just as easily place your dog inside a slightly larger dog. And that's how the tōa-tn̂g pau sió-tn̂g, or "small sausage in large sausage," became a favorite in the night markets of Taiwan.
Hot dogs fashioned to look like happy little octopuses are a common and welcome treat in many Japanese bento lunchboxes.
Sources: (Lacademie) (Mashed) (Delish)
The surprisingly different ways people enjoy their hot dogs around the world
Some stay true to the original, while others are truly innovative
FOOD Street food
Few foods seem as quintessentially American as the hot dog. Whether you associate these delicious treats with the streets of New York, baseball games, or backyard cookouts, they're sure to put a smile on your face. Yet despite being so deeply associated with the United States, hot dogs are the descendants of the Vienna sausages and frankfurters brought over by European immigrants sometime during the 19th century. Skip ahead two centuries, and hot dogs have become a worldwide phenomenon, with countless countries around the globe putting their own twist on this classic snack. Some stay true to the original, while others are truly innovative.
Getting hungry? While you wait for the grill to heat up, read on to learn about the different styles of hot dogs around the world.