Hot dog

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 bun of approximately the same length as the sausage, and optionally garnished with condiments and toppings. The resulting sandwich is also called a hot dog.

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

Hot dogs are traditionally made from beef, pork, or a combination of both meats. 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 may be safely eaten without further cooking though they are usually warmed before serving. Vegetarian hot dogs and sausages which are made completely from meat analogue are also widely available in most areas where hot dogs are popular.

Hot dogs are also called frankfurters, or franks for short (named after the city of Frankfurt, Germany, the original frankfurters are made of pork only), or wieners or weenies (named after the city of Vienna, Austria, whose German name is "Wien", the original wieners are made of a mixture of pork and beef). In Australia, the term frankfurt is used rather than frankfurter. Tiny frankfurts, called cocktail franks or cheerios, citation needed] are sometimes served at parties and eaten on the end of a toothpick. 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; but, in Austria, the terms Frankfurter or Frankfurter Würstchen are used.