A hot dog[1][2] is a dish consisting of a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun.

[11] The claim is that, while working at the New York Polo Grounds in 1901, he came upon the idea of using small French rolls to hold the sausages when the waxed paper they were using ran out.

[12][13] A German immigrant named Feuchtwanger, from Frankfurt, in Hesse, allegedly pioneered the practice in the American Midwest; there are several versions of the story with varying details.

[18] Another possible origin for serving the sausages in rolls is the pieman Charles Feltman, at Coney Island in New York City.

In 1871 he leased land to build a permanent restaurant, and the business grew, selling far more than just the "Coney Island Red Hots" as they were known.

[27]It was used to mean a sausage in casing in the Paterson (New Jersey) Daily Press (31 December 1892): the 'hot dog' was quickly inserted in a gash in a roll.

[30] Dorgan did use the term at other times; the earliest known example was in connection with a bicycle race at Madison Square Garden, appearing in The New York Evening Journal of December 12, 1906.

[34] The first skinless hot dog casings were produced by Freund's new company under the name "Nojax", short for "no jackets" and sold to local Chicago sausage makers.

[37][38] Hot dog eating champions Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi agree with the NHDSC,[39][40] as does the host of the contest.

[47][48] These health concerns have resulted in manufacturers offering alternative product lines made from turkey and chicken, and uncured, low-sodium, and "all-natural" franks.

[48][51] The Cancer Project group filed a class-action lawsuit demanding warning labels on packages and at sporting events.

[53] Due to their size, shape, and ubiquitous consumption, hot dogs present a significant choking risk, especially for children.

Many nicknames applying to either have emerged over the years, including frankfurter, frank, wiener, weenie, coney, and red hot.

Costco, a big-box retail chain, sells a yearly average of 135 million hot dogs at its food courts, at a notably low price.

[59] Fast-food restaurant chains typically do not carry hot dogs because of its shorter shelf-life, more complex toppings and cooking, and mismatched consumer expectations.

In 2005, the US-based National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (part of the American Meat Institute) found mustard to be the most popular, preferred by 32% of respondents; 23% favored ketchup; 17% chili; 9% pickle relish, and 7% onions.

[62] Sauteed bell peppers, onions, and potatoes find their way into New Jersey's deep-fried Italian hot dog.

Hot wieners, or weenies, are a staple in Rhode Island where they are sold at restaurants under the misleading name "New York System.

In the Philadelphia metro area, Texas Tommy refers to a hot dog variant in which the frank is topped with melted cheese (often cheddar) and wrapped in bacon.

In the Midwest, the Chicago-style hot dog is served on a poppy seed bun and topped with mustard, fresh tomatoes, onions, "sport peppers", bright green relish, dill pickles, and celery salt.

Among the famous half-smoke restaurants in the Washington area include Ben's Chili Bowl, which is a cultural landmark, and Weenie Beenie in Arlington County, Virginia.

The hot dog was prepared by Shizuoka Meat Producers for the All-Japan Bread Association, which baked the bun and coordinated the event, including official measurement for the world record.

The hot dog and bun were the center of a media event in celebration of the Association's 50th anniversary on August 4, 2006, at the Akasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo.

It is topped with whole-grain mustard from France, garlic and herb mayonnaise, sauteed chopped shallots, organic mixed baby greens, maple syrup-marinated and fruitwood-smoked uncured bacon from New Hampshire, chopped tomato, moose cheese from Sweden, sweetened dried cranberries, basil olive oil and pear-cranberry-coconut balsamic vinaigrette, and ground peppercorn.