We’re sure everyone here who doesn’t live under a rock knows what a hot dog is. In its
purest form, a hot dog is a sausage that’s placed inside a bun—kind of like a burger but not really. Anything else that’s added to this classic American staple is purely up to the stall as
well as the lucky eater’s preferences.
However, despite being a timeless American dish, did you know that this wonderful delicacy isn’t of US origins? That’s right, the concept of the hot dog spawned as early as 700 BC and
made its grand appearance in the Odyssey, a Greek poem written by Homer.
If you’re interested in learning more about the tasty history of the hot dog, stick around!
The Term “Hot Dog”
Ever wondered where the term hot dog started? Well, no one knows how it started.
However, there’s a famous story about it that took place in 1901.
It was a cold day in April. Vendors were out and busy selling the dish on the street shouting,
“Get your dachshund sausages while they’re hot!” A cartoonist was nearby and listening to the scene. He proceeded to draw a dachshund sausage. However, because he did not know
how to spell dachshund, he wrote “hot dog.” The cartoon went viral. Thus, the term “hot dog”
was born.
The Legend of the Sausage
While there are many stories about how the sausage came into existence, many historians believed that it started in Rome under the reign of Emperor Nero. It is said that Nero’s cook cut open a pig that wasn’t cleaned out properly, spewing its puffed intestines all over. That sparked the idea in the chef’s mind to fill all these casings with meat and other ingredients.
From then on, the sausage has found its way through many countries. One of the most notable places to find sausage is in Germany. There, the sausage found itself a home in
places like Frankfurt and Vienna—places that love sausage so much, they made their own
type of sausage!
The United States and the Sausage
How did the sausage land in the states if it was so famed and loved in Germany? Well, as
German immigrants made their way to the states, they brought along their culinary delicacies, one of them being the sausage. It is believed that the first hot dog was sold by a
German immigrants and was called “dachshund sausages.”
Later in the 1870s, a German immigrant sold hot dogs on Coney Island. While it might not sound like much, the immigrant, known as Charles Feltman, sold over three thousand hot dogs in a single year. A few years later, in the 1880s, a sausage vendor, while previously giving out gloves to his customers as they ate the hotdogs, used white buns instead after he ran out of gloves. By the 1890s, the hot dog was a staple in all the American baseball
stadiums.
The Leap of the Hot Dog
The 1920s was the time when the hot dog finally gained nationwide fame, beloved from the west coast to the east coast. This was all thanks to a shop called Nathan’s Famous.
From the 1920s onwards, the hot dog became a staple in the American diet. Appearing all
over, from backyard barbeques to Independence Day celebrations, the hot dog become
ingrained into American culture.
Conclusion
While no one really knows the exact history of the American hot dog—who cares! The most important part here is that you’re enjoying this wonderful American staple. Nothing beats a
good old sausage in a bun, topped with your favorite ingredients, for a quick snack on the go.
Want to treat yourself to an excellent hot dog meal in Chesterton? Browse through our
website today, and check out our menu at George’s Gyros Spot!