Hot dogs are a staple in the United States. They’re so common that each state has its version. It has region-specific variations, with chefs using their area’s favorite ingredients and flavors to develop a region-specific signature. Here are five of the most popular regional hot dogs in the United States.
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Chicago Dog
A Chicago Dog is a hot dog bun filled with sliced beef franks, sweet pickle relish, chopped onions, pickled peppers, dill pickles, and celery salt. Known as a hot dog scholar, Dennis McKinley, owner and operator of Atlanta’s Original Hot Dog Factory, says the Chicago Dog was invented in Chicago during the Great Depression.
A greengrocer turned his vegetable cart into a hot dog stand and started selling the ‘Depression Sandwich’ for a nickel. This [hot]dog had mustard, onions, relish, and sport peppers. It quickly became popular.
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New York Dog
As an homage to the blend of cultures associated with New York, a New York hot dog features an all-beef frank which is boiled, placed in a soft white bun, and topped with sauerkraut and brown mustard. There are plethoras of sidewalk hot dog vendors in New York, and while some naysayers dismiss the “dirty water dogs” sold there, they miss out on a classic culinary tradition.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigrant communities in New York enjoyed hot dogs, a long part of various European cuisines. As a result of German immigrants selling hot dogs first, sauerkraut and brown mustard were popular toppings.