The History of Hot Dogs in America

Tom Blank of Weird History Food talked about the early origins of the hot dog in America before launching into what actually goes into making them. He explains how hot dogs were introduced by German immigrants in New York City during the early 19th century, how they became the staple of food carts, Fourth of July, and baseball games, and how federal regulation eventually required hot dogs to be at least 54.5% real meat.

When it comes to things people are pretty sure they don’t want to know, what’s really in a hot dog almost certainly tops that list. But our job is, to be frank, about such matters. Whether you’ve ever wanted to hear about it or not.Today, we’re going to take a look at what’s actually in a hot dog.