Hot dog
A hot dog is a form of sandwich, or alternatively the sausage that goes in the sandwich, which is also called a frankfurter, frank, weenie, wienie, wiener, dog, or red hot. It is made using a German-style frankfurter or dachshund sausage that is boiled, fried, or grilled. The traditional sausage is prepared from beef or pork, chemical preservatives, and spices and is a highly processed food product, fully cooked before being packaged and sold.
Since hot dogs are always already precooked when purchased, they merely need to be warmed: this means that they can also be heated in a microwave oven before being served. The warmed hot dog, however it is prepared, is placed inside an elongated soft bread bun that has been split vertically along its length. A variety of toppings may be added, the most common of which are tomato ketchup and mustard. Other toppings may include lettuce, chili sauce, relish, onions, sauerkraut, grated cheese, and spices such as celery salt or pepper. The Sonoran hot dog, a popular item in Arizona, is grilled with bacon wrapped around it, then served with six or more of the toppings listed earlier, plus mayonnaise, refried beans, and hot peppers.[1] The American hot dog market is worth over $3.9 billion annually. July is American National Hot Dog Month and 150 million hot dogs are consumed in the USA on the 4th of July alone.[2]
There is some disagreement about the origin of the hot dog and its names. The sausage is German. The city of Frankfurt in Germany claims to have been the creator of the sausage some 500 years ago. The sausage was taken to America by German immigrants. One such immigrant, Charles Feltman, a butcher, opened a shop selling these sausages in 1867 on Coney Island in New York City. He is recorded to have sold 3,684 dachshund sausages in his first year alone. He served his sausages inside a milk roll.
By 1893, these sausages had already become popular snacks at ball games.
Hot dogs continue to be one of the main foods offered by vendors at sporting events such as Major League Baseball games and in movie theaters. They also frequently can be found being sold by street vendors in big American cities such as New York and Chicago.
Health risks
Most hot dogs are high in fat and salt and have preservatives sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate, which are classified as group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization.[3] Health concerns led to alternative product lines made from turkey and chicken, and uncured, low-sodium, and "all-natural" franks. An American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) report found that consuming one daily 50-gram serving of processed meat—about one hot dog—increases long-term risk of colorectal cancer by 20 percent.[4] In 2017, the Cancer Project group filed a class-action lawsuit demanding warning labels on packages and at sporting events.[5] Due to their size, shape, and ubiquitous consumption, hot dogs also present a significant choking risk for children. A study in the US found that 17% of food-related choking deaths among children younger than 10 years of age were caused by hot dogs.[6] The risk of choking on a hot dog is greatly reduced by slicing it.
References
- ↑ See [1] for a picture and description of a Sonoran hot dog at BK Carne Asada in Tucson, Arizona.
- ↑ http://www.hot-dog.org/vitalstats.html
- ↑ Bee Wilson (1 May 2018). Yes, bacon really is killing us.
- ↑ AICR Statement: Hot Dogs and Cancer Risk Template:Webarchive, American Institute for Cancer Research, July 22, 2009.
- ↑ Hot dog cancer-warning labels sought in lawsuit: Healthy Cleveland Template:Webarchive, The Plain Dealer, August 29, 2009. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
- ↑ (May 1984) "Childhood Asphyxiation by Food: A National Analysis and Overview". JAMA 251 (17): 2231–2235. DOI:10.1001/jama.251.17.2231. PMID 6708272. Research Blogging.