How did hot dogs develop into a popular food

Summer, in many people's minds, is a time of barbecues and picnics. One common food in this is the hot dog, which is often grilled and served in a bun. The history of the hot dog goes to ancient periods, when sausages developed as a popular food. Modern hot dogs are a result of efficient use of meat remains after the processing of meat products. The history of the hot dog is often seen or attributed to German origins but even here there is dispute about this.

Early Origins

The traditional origin of the hot dog lies with the so-called Frankfurt sausage, or frankfurter, which was a sausage developed in Frankfurt-am-Main in Germany. This was supposedly around 1487, when this type of sausage of packaged or processed meat was developed. However, Vienna disputes Frankfurt's claims, as the term "wiener" is often used to refer to sausages or hot dogs. The term derives from the German name for the city (Wien).

While these traditions often point to a Medieval origin to sausages, we know in reality that sausages likely go back further in time. In Homer's Odyssey, a type of sausage or processed meat is mentioned. In fact, as early as ancient Sumeria and Mesopotamia, animal intestines were mentioned to be stuffed with meat as a type of cuisine. It is very likely sausages developed as separate innovations in varying cultures. One problem for past societies that would have likely led them to develop is the problem of having to preserve meat. Sausages would be ideal because they could be encased and then smoked or dried. It allows meat to be easily stored while with some protective outer covering. Most likely, animal intestines would have been used from the beginning, as they still are for natural or traditional style sausages.

Sausages became common in Europe and much of the Old World, but cultures developed them to suit to their local tastes and meat varieties. Therefore, it is likely there is truth that Vienna and Frankfurt both had existing sausage traditions that likely then influenced what would become the hot dog. In fact, almost any European who likely migrated to the United States in the 18th or 19th centuries could claim credit for developing the hot dog, as very likely the tradition would have been widespread throughout Europe as it is today. Similar to ancient periods, the Medieval period saw continued use of sausages due to the ease in which the food preserves and its convenient packaging. While the use of animal intestines for food packaging would make us think there is a high probability of sickness or infection, which was likely the case in the past, it also likely helped make Europeans and others develop immunity from some parasites that would be found in animal intestines.