Hot Dog
A Global History
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Reaktion Books
Published:1st Apr '09
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Served in a fresh soft bun, and adorned with your choice of mustard, ketchup, chilli, sauerkraut, coleslaw, pickles, relish, sliced tomatoes, hot peppers and fried or fresh onion, the hot dog must surely be one of the world's favourite convenience foods. In "Hot Dog" well-known food historian Bruce Kraig recounts the history of this popular dish, from the origin of the sausage some 20,000 years ago, to the evolution of the modern form of the hot dog, and its central place in American culture today. Kraig examines the many types of hot dog sausage around the world, including the Italian bologna and German bockwurst. He also relates the myriad regional variations in the USA, from kosher-style' New York dogs loaded with mustard and sauerkraut to the famous New England Franks and Boston Baked Beans, to Southern corn dogs, Southwestern chilli dogs and the remarkable Chicago-style hot dog, which is topped with mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt but never ketchup. "Hot Dog" also explores sometimes apocryphal tales of the hot dog in history: how the dish got its name, how it became associated with baseball games and leisure time, and how George VI was served hot dogs during his visit to the White House in 1939. Packed with tasty facts and piquant observations, many illustrations and a selection of recipes, this book shows how this seemingly simple food has a rich history, and is also fundamentally linked to American's mythology of itself.
'Bruce Kraig has written an exemplary book in Hot Dog: A Global History, the definitive authority on the small subject of hot dogs. Amusing and scholarly at the same time, it tells how the sausage snack was an instrument of social mobility and that the bun replaced the white gloves originally used to hold the sausage.' - Paul Levy, The Guardian 'This is one book you don't want to read on an empty stomach. Food historian Bruce Kraig gives a tasty account of encased meats in Hot Dog, from its humble beginnings 20,000 years ago to today's trendiest fixins. He explores every possible way to serve one of our most popular foods, and of course, you'll find plenty of pictures and recipes to illustrate his extensive research.' - Playboy 'In this slim and highly readable study, food historian Kraig produces arguably the definitive work on one of America's classic foods ... An impressive inventory of regional variations showcase the food's versatility, and stories of industry giants like Oscar Meyer and the evolution of all-important casings make for entertaining reading and retelling, especially over the grill with tongs in hand.' - Publishers Weekly 'an immersive history, heavily illustrated with well-chose photos from 100 years of wiener culture ... Kraig, a talented researcher, has an archaeologist's enthusiasm for piecing together far-flung disparate parts.' - Chicago Tribune 'the most impressive work in the [Edible] series so far ... He is able to turn the story of the hot dog's origins into a sharp and lively account of Americana' - Clio 'Here's a great Hot Dog book: Hot Dog by Bruce Kraig ... Scholarly yet clever and entertaining, Kraig probably knows more about the history of the hot dog than anyone and he meticulously dismissed the many myths about the origin of the frankfurter, the bun, and its name. He does a good job of explaining how hot dog culture spanned the nation and even the world.' - Craig 'Meathead' Goldwyn, The Huffington Post
ISBN: 9781861894274
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
128 pages