Hot Dogs

Originally developed from a sausage, stories about the origination of the first hot dog vary widely across the world. However, it is likely that Frankfurt, Germany experienced the first frankfurter in the 13^th century. This creation was made from pork sausages, and was considered a celebratory food given upon imperial coronations. By the 18^th century, this creation made its way to Vienna, where it was mixed with beef and termed a "wiener" for the first time. Even today, although the composition of the hot dog has changed, German-speaking countries refer to the common hot dog as a "Wiener".

By 1870, Charles Feltman, a German immigrant who lived on Coney Island began selling rolled sausages out of a small food stand near his house. At the time, he charged $0.03 for one, or $0.05 for two. During the same time frame, however, other independent creations of the hot dog were claimed to have been developed.

An example of these parallel creations include a Bavarian immigrant named Feuchtwanger, who's wife apparently came up with the idea of putting sausages in buns after many of his customers complained about burning their hands. No matter the origin however, by the late 19^th century, sausage was commonly being sold in buns, like the hot dogs of today.

The association between baseball and hot dogs first began in 1893. The story goes that a man named Von der Ahe, who was a German immigrant that had opened a local grocery store as well funded a baseball team, had convinced the ballpark to let him sell hot dogs to the crowd. However, some historians dispute this story.

Today, hot dogs are created by mixing pork and beef trimmings with special seasonings and are sold in restaurants, hot dog stands, and ball parks throughout the country. Since the early 20^th century, hot dogs have been a staple food choice by tourists, baseball fans, and just regular Americans looking to bite into a piece of tradition and history.