Hot dog

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Hot Dog
A cooked hot dog garnished with mustard.
Origin information
Alternate name(s) :	Frankfurters Franks Wieners Weenies Wiener Würstchen Frankfurter Würstel
Country of origin :	Multiple claims
Creator(s) of the dish :	Multiple claims
Dish information
Serving temperature :	Hot
Main ingredient(s) :	Pork, beef, chicken or combinations thereof and bread
Variations :	Multiple

A hot dog is a type of fully-cooked, cured and/or smoked moist sausage of soft, even texture and flavor. It is usually placed hot in a soft, sliced hot dog bun of approximately the same length as the sausage, and optionally garnished with condiments and toppings. In the United Kingdom and Australia, hot dog refers more commonly to the combination of sausage and bun, with the sausage called a frankfurter.

The flavor of hot dog sausages varies widely by region and by personal preference, as do the accompaniments. The flavor of the sausage can resemble a range of similar meat products from bologna on the bland side to the German bockwurst in the spicier varieties.

Kosher hot dogs may be made from beef, chicken or turkey. Vegetarian hot dogs and sausages, made from meat analogue, are also widely available in most areas where hot dogs are popular. Unlike many other sausages (which may be sold cooked or uncooked), hot dogs are always cooked before being offered commercially. Unless they have spoiled, hot dogs can usually be eaten safely without further cooking, although they are usually warmed before serving. Many doctors recommend that pregnant women heat hot dogs (and other pre-cooked, pre-packaged foods) to 160-170 degrees for at least two minutes before consuming to reduce the chance of contracting Listeriosis, which is caused by a rare bacteria that can thrive at low temperatures (such as in a refrigerator) but can affect unborn children and even cause miscarriage or still birth.

Hot dogs are also called frankfurters, or franks for short, named for the city of Frankfurt, Germany where sausages in a bun originated, similar to hot dogs, but made exclusively of pork. Another term for hot dogs is wieners or weenies, referring to the city of Vienna, Austria, whose German name is "Wien", home to a sausage made of a mixture of pork and beef. In the German speaking countries, except Austria, hot dog sausages are generally called Wiener or Wiener Würstchen (Würstchen means "little sausage"). In Swiss German, it is called Wienerli, while in Austria the terms Frankfurter or Frankfurter Würstel are used.

In the United Kingdom hot dogs are sometimes made with British sausages, typically cooked by grilling or frying. When prepared using a frankfurter they may be sold and marketed as "German" or "American-style" hot dogs.