Who Invented the Hot Dog?

A hot dog is a soft moist sausage known for its even flavor and texture. Common types of hot dogs are smoked, cured, and fully cooked. People often enjoy it with onion, ketchup, mustard, on a hot dog bun. Hot dogs are sold just about anywhere where there are people around. You can find food stands that sell them even in ball parks. Such a common thing to see can induce the question of who invented the hot dog.

Various Claims
There are many claims as to who invented the hot dog. Unfortunately, it is quite a difficult process to assess which claim is the real source of today’s hot dog. Various stories tell of the creation of a sausage in a bun. Another common element you’ll find among the various claims include the how the name hot dog came about. This just makes figuring out who invented the hot dog a lot more difficult.

The Name Frankfurter
It can be easily deduced that the name frankfurter comes from name Frankfurt, Germany. It is here where sausages served in a bun originated. This is quite similar to how hot dogs are served. Another common name for hot dogs is wieners, which points us to Vienna, Austria. It is interesting that the German name for Vienna is Wien.

German speaking countries often call hot dogs as Wiener Wurstchen, which literally translates to ‘little sausage’. Analyzing the names used for it would give light to the question on who invented the hot dog.

Other Claims

Antonoine Feuchtwanger’s wife, both him and his wife originally Germans, is the one to whom the idea of a hot dog sold on a bun is ascribed to. They sold hot dogs in St. Louis, Missouri in the year 1880. Anton Ludwig Feuchtwanger is credited as the one who sold sausages at the World’s Fair. Both stories revolve around the handing of white gloves in order for customers to eat the hot sausages. This however does not settle the question of who invented the hot dog.

Hot Dogs and Baseball
A common sight during a baseball game is a guy roaming around selling hot dogs. This association actually began in 1893. Chris von der Ahe owned both an amusement park and the St. Louis Browns and is partially responsible for the said association.

The Word Dog in Hot Dog
It is interesting to note that the word dog is a synonym of the word sausage even from the early days of 1884. There was even an accusation that dog meat was used, though it is a bit far fetched.
With all the claims around one can not really tell who invented the hot dog. However, analyzing the name and origin of the terms will help you understand just how the hot dog came to be.