Happy 4th of July!

How's this for a great July 4th bit of history: The History of Hot Dogs!

Here's how they define hot dogs, also called frankfurters, frank, weenie, wienie, wiener, dog, and red hot. A cooked sausage that consists of a combination of beef and pork or all beef, which is cured, smoked, and cooked. Seasonings may include coriander, garlic, ground mustard, nutmeg, salt, sugar, and white pepper. They are fully cooked but are usually served hot. Sizes range from big dinner frankfurters to tiny cocktail size. Hot dogs are among America's favorite foods. Every year, Americans consume on average 60 hot dogs! Hot dogs are primarily regarded as a fun, summertime food, and most are eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Americans are not the only ones who love hot dogs. The Spanish call them "perrito caliente," in Italian, it's "cane caldo," the French refer to them as "chien chaud," Germans call them "Heisser Hund," and the Dutch have dubbed them "worstjes.

Now for a little bit about the history of hot dogs:

1484 - It is said that the frankfurter was developed in Frankfurt, Germany (five years before Christopher Columbus set sail for the new world). In 1987, the city of Frankfurt celebrated the 500th birthday of the hot dog. In the 1850s, the Germans made thick, soft, and fatty sausages from which we get the fame "franks."

1690s - Another legend is that the popular sausage (known as "dachshund" or "little-dog" sausage) was created in the late 1600s by Johann Georghehner, a butcher living in Coburg, Germany. It is said that he later traveled to Frankfurt to promote his new product.

1805 - The people of Vienna (Wien), Austria point to the term "wiener" to prove their claim as the birthplace of the hot dog. It is said that the master sausage maker who made the first wiener got his early training in Frankfurt, Germany. He called his sausage the "wiener-frankfurter." But it was generally known as "wienerwurst." The wiener comes from Wien (the German name of Vienna) and wurst means sausage in German.

This article includes links (the non-gustatory kind) to recipes of food that go well with hot dogs. So, check it out, and have a Happy 4th!