Where Do Hot Dogs Come From?

Let’s get frank.

“Where do hot dogs come from?” may not be a question you find yourself asking often (or ever, tbh), but it’s one asked by millions—yes, millions—of Google users during summer grilling season. And if you’re anything like one of the curious cooks who’s turned to the internet for increased hot dog knowledge, we know what you’re probably thinking: “ground-up American pork byproducts like stomachs, snouts, and hearts molded into a phallic shape.”

For that answer, you’d be partially correct. Hot dogs were named after a New York Journal cartoon depicting a dachshund nestled between two buns, but the term “frankfurter” actually comes from Frankfurt, Germany, aka the birthplace of the celebrated sausage wiener.

But what about the mystery meat?

While ingredients vary by company, The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council claims that most hot dogs start as “trimmings.” No, these are not your favorite Thanksgiving Day sides combined to create a casing-wrapped meaty treat. Instead, they’re the “lower-grade muscle trimmings, fatty tissues, head meat, animal feet, animal skin, blood, liver and other edible slaughter by-products.” Have you put down that bottle of yellow mustard yet?

Once trimmings (pork and beef being of higher quality than mechanically-separated chicken and turkey) are pre-cooked to help remove the meat from bone and eliminate bacteria associated with butchering, they’re ground up in a machine, emulsified into a paste, and then mixed with salt, starches, spices, and sweeteners. Water is added to for a smoother consistency, which makes the dogs easier for pumping into their respective casings (either cellulose or natural). Before inspection and distribution, cellulose casings are removed for “skinless” varieties while natural casings (the animal’s cleaned intestines) are left in tact. It’s how you get that “perfect crunch.”

And that’s basically it, folks. An American classic grilled, topped with the most random of condiments, and plopped onto a bun for your satisfaction.

If we haven’t completely ruined your appetite, check out a few of our favorite hot dog recipes below. You may need to cover your eyes before consuming, but it’s the culinary patriotism that counts, right? Right.

Pizza Dough Dogs

Chowhound

Anything tastes on good pizza, so pizza dough must taste good on anything. We’re not entirely sure if we agree with that logic, but in honor of National Hot Dog Day on July 19, we’re rolling with it. Literally. Get our Pizza Dough Dogs recipe.

Corn Dogs

Chowhound

This is about as American as you’re going to get. Processed pork that is breaded, deep fried, and then dunked in sugary sauces? God bless us and all of our nation’s cardiologists. Get our Corn Dogs recipe.

Bison Chili Cheese Dogs

Chowhound

Because meat obviously needs more meat. Go big or go home when it comes to hot dogs. Apparently that’s the only way to do them. Get our Bison Chili Cheese Dogs recipe.

Spiral-Cut Bacon Dogs

Chowhound

Furthering that theory, witness the bacon-cheese dog, which is spiral cut to maximize its charred surface area and catch all those toppings. Get our Spiral-Cut Bacon Dogs recipe.

Banh Mi Spiral-Cut Hot Dogs

Chowhound

The same method can be applied to even more madly delicious topping combos, like bahn mi-inspired pickled vegetables, mayo, and Sriracha. Get our Banh Mi Spiral-Cut Hot Dogs recipe.

Related Video: How to Spiral Cut a Hot Dog

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How to Make Seafood Soup From Around the World

The ocean covers roughly 70 percent of the entire planet and touches numerous shores spanning the globe, so it’s no surprise that so many countries have their own beloved fish and shellfish dishes, from several versions of ceviche to seafood bakes and boils. There’s practically an entire sea of fish soups and stews out there too, way beyond clam chowder and cioppino, though some aren’t nearly as widely known as they should be.

Here’s a sampling of some of the best seafood soups from around the world, in no particular order, so you can do a little globetrotting even in your own kitchen.

Cioppino (San Francisco Fisherman’s Stew)

Foodio/Shutterstock

A hallmark of San Francisco cuisine, cioppino is an Italian-American stew thick with various types of firm fish and shellfish. It has much in common with cacciucco, a fisherman’s stew from Livorno, Italy, and either one would make a fine addition to a Feast of the Seven Fishes spread—but even served alone, they’d make a pretty perfect meal. Get our Cioppino recipe.

Bouillabaisse (Provençal Fish Soup)

Family Style Food

Similar in appearance to cioppino, bouillabaisse is made from both fish and shellfish (including, sometimes, octopus and sea urchins) in a tomato broth flavored with saffron, fennel, garlic, and olive oil, plus vegetables like leeks and potatoes. France is home to other seafood stews as well, like bourride, with a broth enriched with garlicky aioli, and cotriade, a simpler soup with fish and potatoes that originated in Brittany, but Marseilles’ bouillabaisse is most well known, and traditionally served with toasts topped with rouille, a spicy pepper sauce thickened with breadcrumbs. Get the recipe.

Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)

Hilah Cooking

This stew from Brazil has a rich—yet not too heavy—broth thickened with both coconut milk and dende, or bright red-orange palm oil, which is worth seeking out (although, be sure to buy a sustainably harvested brand). Bell peppers, firm white fish, and shrimp often swim in the broth, and a topping of torn cilantro gives it a fresh lift of flavor, as does lime juice. Get the recipe.

Senegalese Seafood Stew (Thieboudienne)

Yummy Medley

Thieboudienne, the national dish of Senegal, is composed of fish, vegetables, and broken bits of rice all simmered together in spiced tomato sauce. It’s often termed a stew, although it’s much less brothy than you might expect. It goes by several other names, including ceeubu jen. Before being added to the other ingredients, the fish is scored and the slits in the flesh are stuffed with rof, a mixture of parsley, onion, and garlic somewhat like Italian gremolata. Another Senegalese dish, soupe kandja (or soupoukandia), is technically considered a sauce with okra and palm oil, but is likely a precursor to another seafood stew: gumbo. Get the recipe.

Caldillo de Congrío

Recipes Tab

According to Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda, those who eat Chile’s caldillo de congrío know heaven on earth. This stew is based on pink or rosy conger, a “giant eel of snowy flesh” (that’s Neruda again), and the broth, based on fish stock, is flavored with garlic, tomatoes, carrots, and onion, with just enough cream to make the mixture a little cloudy and opaque. Get the recipe.

Portuguese Fish Stew (Caldeirada de Peixe)

Storey Publishing

Caldeirada is named for the clay pot in which it is traditionally cooked, and like so many other seafood stews, there’s no set-in-stone ingredient list. It’s filled with a mix of fresh fish and often includes squid, with tomato and herbs in the broth, and vegetables like potatoes regularly make an appearance too. Portuguese mariscada is similar, but packed with shellfish instead of finfish. Many recipes, like the one here, add chorizo for extra kick. Get the recipe.

Ukha (Russian Fish Stew)

Peter’s Food Adventures

Russian ukha is a super simple fish soup best made with just-caught fish, ideally outside near the banks of a river, over an open fire. The entire fish, including the head, is used to impart flavor to the broth, while carrots, onions, and/or potatoes are added to make it heartier. Get the recipe.

Haemul Jeongol (Korean Seafood Hot Pot)

Korean Bapsang

Korean hot pots come in many varieties, and this one is full of fish and seafood like crab, octopus, and clams. Gochujang and other flavorful ingredients add spice and savor to the broth, and vegetables like soybean sprouts, mushrooms, and cabbage are added to it as well. Maeuntang is another spicy Korean fish stew that’s a little simpler, with fewer ingredients, but its flavors are just as big. Get the recipe.

Asam Pedas (Malaysian Tamarind Fish Stew)

Roti & Rice

This seafood curry from Malaysia is soupy enough to be considered a stew, and too intriguing not to include. It’s spicy thanks to plenty of red chiles; fragrant with turmeric, lemongrass, shallots, and shrimp paste; and tangy with tamarind paste. Fresh pineapple and okra are added along with firm white fish to the vibrant broth. Get the recipe.

Meen Moilee (Kerala Fish Stew)

Kannamma Cooks

Although rich and fragrant with spices like ginger, cinnamon, and curry leaves, this coconut milk enriched Indian fish stew from Kerala is fairly mild, and perfect spooned over lots of steamed basmati rice. Get the recipe.

Chupe de Camarones (Peruvian Shrimp Chowder)

Goya Food

This spicy shrimp chowder hails from Peru, and in addition to the shellfish, includes corn (preferably the large-kerneled Peruvian staple called choclo if you can find it; Goya Foods sells it frozen), potatoes, queso fresco, and poached eggs. No wonder it’s thought of as a warming and filling winter dish. Get the recipe.

Caldo de Pescado

Muy Bueno Cookbook

Chipotle makes the tomato broth for this Mexican seafood soup a little smoky and spicy (jalapeño, garlic, and hot sauce also help). The type of seafood that goes into it varies widely, but you can keep it as simple as you want with just one or two kinds. Get the recipe.

Ghalieh Mahi (Iranian Fish Stew)

Turmeric Saffron

This Iranian fish stew is thick with herbs, traditionally fenugreek and cilantro, and pleasantly puckery thanks to tamarind, with a healthy hit of garlic too. Get the recipe.

Hungarian Fisherman’s Soup (Halászlé)

SBS

Similar to Russian fish soup, this Hungarian dish is best made with freshly caught fish in the great outdoors, but it’s still good made at home. Plenty of paprika gives the broth a brick red hue as well as authentic Hungarian flavor. This is much the same as Croatia’s riblji paprikaš too. Get the recipe.

Catalan Fish Stew

Lexi Bites

Catalan fish stew, or suquet de peix, starts with picada, a thick paste of toasted hazelnuts, almonds, and bread crumbs plus garlic and chili. This forms the base of the broth, which is also flavored with saffron and smoky pimentón. In it, you’ll find potatoes, fish, and shellfish. As with practically every seafood stew, it’s very flexible, so you can use whatever non-oily fish and shellfish looks best at your market. Get the recipe.

Related Video: Manhattan and New England Clam Chowder: What’s the Difference?

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The History of the Kosher Hot Dog

If you grew up near or currently live in a major U.S. city, there’s a good chance you associate hot dog vendors with everyday urban life—or catching a ball game at the local stadium. But that is nothing new. For well over a century, vendors have been selling hot dogs to busy Americans who want a quick, cheap meal on the go.

While it’s hard to pin down the frankfurter’s exact origin, it most likely evolved from the cuisine of European countries such as Germany and Austria, where sausages are well-loved. But if ever a wiener could be tied to the American dream, the kosher hot dog is it.

The Kosher Dog’s Origin Story

According to food historian Bruce Kraig, author of “Hot Dog: A Global History” and co-author of “Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America”, hot dogs have been a way up in the world for immigrants in the U.S. since the 19th century. “In the1860s, many German Jewish immigrants who had been middle class in their home country became peddlers here,” he says. They, along with Eastern European Jews who arrived a bit later, ended up selling street food in the Jewish neighborhoods of the cities where they lived, such as the Lower East Side of Manhattan and Maxwell Street in Chicago. Sausages were a cheap source of protein, Kraig explains. “A vendor could get a hot dog for a penny or two and, with accoutrements, they could sell them for a nickel.” In addition to vendors, Jewish immigrants established sausage-making operations and delis that sold specialty items eagerly embraced by their community and the general public.

Chowhound

As for the name “hot dog,” Kraig credits American songwriter Septimus Winner, who published the song, “Oh Where, Oh Where Ish Mine Little Dog Gone” in 1864. Set to a popular German folk tune and often sung at the time with a fake German accent by vaudeville performers, the lyrics imply that the singer’s missing dog may have ended up as sausage. These types of jokes date back to medieval times, says Kraig, like the one about neighborhood cats and dogs disappearing when the German butcher comes to town.

By the 1890s, the hot dog moniker was in widespread use across the country. But while it may have been based on a joke, the underlying health concerns about where meat came from was no laughing matter.

Kosher’s Marketing Cachet

In 1906, Upton Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle” exposed the ugly reality of the American meat industry to a horrified public. One of the many reasons it had such an impact was because it played on fears consumers had been grappling with for centuries, including what was in their beloved sausages.

Meanwhile, Jewish sausage-makers were producing all-beef franks (pork, at the time, was seen as a lesser meat and certainly wasn’t kosher) that sometimes even exceeded government standards. It didn’t take long for people to associate kosher hot dogs with high quality. This led to some of the most brilliant marketing campaigns the food industry has ever seen.

Hebrew National

Hebrew National, founded in 1905 and one of the most recognizable kosher hot dog brands still in existence, owes much of its success to branding. Its founder, Theodore Krainin, was a Russian Jewish immigrant and sausage-maker on the Lower East Side. He marketed his business as having higher standards for cleanliness and quality because he complied with kosher law.

More than a century later, Krainin’s original kosher hot dog recipe has remained largely intact, although they eliminated the use of artificial colors and flavors in the 1980s. But it was Hebrew National’s marketing campaigns in the latter half of the 20th century that made it a household name. According to Dan Skinner, the manager of brand communications at ConAgra, which acquired Hebrew National in 1993, the famous slogan, “We answer to a higher authority” is a play on words that cleverly refers both to religion and to the rigorous standards of kosher certification. You might remember it from the famous commercial featuring an actor dressed up as Uncle Sam, which first aired in the 1970s.

But you don’t have to be religious, Jewish or from a major city to enjoy a kosher hot dog. Whether or not it’s actually the healthier choice is questionable—it can be just as high in fat and sodium as other types of hot dogs. But if you’re looking for a cheap, quick meal on-the-go that also represents the struggle for immigrants to achieve the American Dream, a kosher dog is certainly a worthy option.

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What Is the Difference Between Squid and Octopus?

Squid and octopus might not be the most common seafood choices at your dinner table, but they make a delicious alternative when you’re craving something a little bit beyond your typical salmon or lobster. While similar in a myriad of ways, squid and octopus are actually two very different beasts, err mollusks, rather.

Let’s start with their physical characteristics. They are both head-footed aquatic animals and are classified as cephalopods. This basically means they have arms coming out of their heads! However, an octopus has a round head with eight arms attached. Squid, on the other hand, have triangular heads adorned with two fins. They also have eight arms and two tentacles, all arranged in pairs.

In terms of cooking, these differences in size and shape can lead to distinctions in texture and taste. In general, octopus is lighter, less chewy and an overall great low-calorie protein—one with the seemingly magical ability to absorb the flavors of the other ingredients it’s prepared with. Boiling, poaching, and grilling are all common means of preparation as well. It turns out there are few wrong ways to cook a bumpy-skinned octopus.

Squid, or calamari as it’s frequently termed on menus, is definitely smoother. However, it can also be chewier and less tender when eaten. Like octopus, it also soaks up sauces quite well and can be prepared a number of ways. Braising, boiling, searing, grilling all work fine. Just be sure to cook it one of two ways: either fast and over high heat or slow and with low heat. Anything in between results in an undesirably rubbery texture.

Here are some recipes to inspire you to stretch out your tentacles in the kitchen during this summer seafood season!

Fried Calamari 

Chowhound

A classic appetizer we can’t get enough of. Buttermilk batter helps make the squid extra crispy. Garnish with lemon for a real crowd pleaser. Get our Fried Calamari recipe.

Sauteed Calamari with Parsley and Garlic

For a lighter approach, go with sauteed calamari. Parsley and garlic are simple, yet aromatic flavors that complement squid perfectly. Get our Sauteed Calamari recipe.

Easy Grilled Octopus

Chowhound

You’ve probably been barbecuing all summer. It’s time to step it up a notch and throw some octopus on your grill. We swear it’s not as intimidating as you think! Get our Easy Grilled Octopus recipe.

Ensalada de Pulpo (Octopus Salad)

Delish D’Lites

For a Caribbean twist on octopus, try ensalada de pulpo. It’s a hearty seafood salad with a kick of zesty peppers and herbs. Check out this recipe for Octopus Salad.

Octopus Slices with Sesame Dipping Sauce

Maangchi

This sesame seed dipping sauce is a perfect accompaniment to boiled octopus, as it brings out a rich umami flavor. Check out this recipe for Octopus Slices with Sesame Dipping Sauce.

Calamari Stewed with Tomatoes 

Simply Recipes

This tomatoey, Italian stew can be topped over pasta for a delicious one-bowl meal. Perfect for those transitional days between summer and fall. Check out this recipe for Stewed Calamari with Tomatoes.

Related Video: Sauteed Calamari with Parsley and Garlic

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Succotash (Corn, Bean, and Vegetable Stew)

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Pesto White Bean Burgers

As a vegetarian during my late teens and twenties, I ate my fair share of veggie burgers. After college I started making my own, improving on the store-bought burgers I’d come to rely on by making my own zesty bean burger packed with herbs and subtle spices.

The recipe has come a long way since those days, and the latest version is this tender white bean number with double pesto—some goes in the burgers and some goes into a creamy sauce over top.

These veggie burgers cook up like a dream. They’re sure to be a winner for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.

Continue reading "Pesto White Bean Burgers" »

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